
Class L n 
Book 






Copyright ]n^ 



CDPBRIGHT DEPOSITS 




THE LIBERTY BELL, INDEPENDENCE HALL, PHILADELPHIA 



MAKERS OF OUR 
HISTORY 



BY 



JOHN T. FARIS 



AUTHOR OF "REAL STORIES FROM OUR HISTORY, 
"WINNING THEIR WAY," "MEN WHO MADE GOOD," ETC. 



GINN AND COMPANY 

BOSTON • NEW YORK • CHICAGO • LONDON 
ATLANTA • DALLAS • COLUMBUS ■ SAN FRANCISCO 



COPYRIGHT, 1917, BY JOHlt T. PARIS 
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 






DEC -3 1317 



W\jt atftcnaeum Jj^ttSU 

GINN AND COMPANY • PRO- 
PRIETORS • BOSTON • U.S.A. 



©CI.A47934y 



Vk) 1 



PREFACE 

Boys and girls are hero worshipers. They like to read 
of those who, when young, conquered difficulties and paved 
the way for the achievements of later life. Their own lives 
may be shaped by the lives of the heroes of whom they 
read, for knowledge of how others have overcome great 
obstacles often gives the reader faith in himself, and acquaint- 
ance with exalted characters often helps in the formation 
of high ideals. 

The plea of teachers has been for stories of the lives of 
great men so told as to make clear how the foundation of 
future greatness was often laid in boyhood. It is this plea 
that the author has kept in mind in telling these stories. 

"Makers of Our History" sketches briefly the lives'of 
twenty-eight men, each of whom has had a large part in 
shaping the course of the American people. Of these twenty- 
eight great Americans the work of some lay in government, 
in war, or in industry, while others did their part as natu- 
ralists or as poets, or enriched and broadened our life in 
other fields. 

Acknowledgment is made to the following publishers for 
permission to quote copyrighted material in books published 
by them which are named at the close of the chapters in 
which the quotations appear : Henry Holt and Company, 
New York : " Leading American Inventors," by George 
lies (chapter on Eli Whitney). George W. Jacobs & Co.^ 



vi MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

Philadelphia: "Robert Edward Lee," by Philip Alexander 
Bruce. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston: "Samuel F. B. 
Morse, his Letters and Journals," edited by Edward Lind 
Morse ; " Francis Parkman," by Henry Dwight Sedgwick ; 
and " The Story of My Boyhood and Youth," by John Muir. 
Acknowledgment is also made to William Holmes Davis, 
headmaster of the Danville School for Boys, Danville, 
Virginia, whose urgent request for such a book first sug- 
gested its preparation. 

JOHN T. PARIS 



CONTENTS 

(Names are given in order of birth) 

CHAPTER PAGE 

I. Benjamin Franklin, the Many-sided .... 3 

II. George Washington, "Father of his Country" 19 

III. Robert Morris, Financier of. the Revolution 37 

IV. Daniel Boone, Backwoodsman 51 

V. Thomas Jefferson, Statesman 68 

VI. George Rogers Clark, Winner of the West 80 

VII. Alexander Hamilton, Statesman 98 

VIII. Robert Fulton, an Inventor of the Steam- 
boat 112 

IX. Eli Whitney, Inventor of the Cotton Gin . 123 

X. John Quincy Adams, Statesman 135 

XI. John James Audubon, Naturalist 147 

XII. Daniel Webster, Orator and Statesman . . 159 

XIII. Peter Cooper, Friend of Boys 173 

XIV. Samuel F. B. Morse, Inventor of the Tele- 

graph 1S5 

XV. Sam Houston, Pioneer 201 

XVI. Robert E. Lee, Soldier . 216 

XVII. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow, the Chil- 
dren's Poet 227 

vii 



vili MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

CHAPTER PAGE 

XVIII, Abraham Lincoln, Liberator 237 

XIX. Cyrus Hall McCormick, Inventor of the 

Reaper 254 

XX. Horace Greeley, Journalist 266 

XXI. Cyrus W. Field, who laid the First Ocean 

Cable 278 

XXII. Ulysses S. Grant, Soldier and Statesman 291 

XXIII. Francis Parkman, Historian 307 

XXIV. Samuel Langhorne Clemens (Mark Twain), 

Humorist 320 

XXV. John Muir, Interpreter of Nature . . . 331 

XXVI. Sidney Lanier, the Southern Poet . . . 343 

XXVII. Thomas A. Edison, Electrician 353 

XXVIII. Alexander Graham Bell, Inventor of the 

Telephone 365 

INDEX 379 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS 

pa(;e 
The Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, Philadelphia . . Frontispiece 

Benjamin Franklin 4 

An Early View of Independence Hall 5 

Two Pages from " Poor Richard's Almanack " lo 

Franklin's Electrical Machine 1 1 

Hesid oi Pennsylvania /ourua/ on Stamp Act 14. 

Stenton 16 

George Washington 20 

Plot of the Region about Mt. Vernon, made by George Washington 2 1 

Washington as a Surveyor .....' 23 

The Octagon Barn at Mt. Vernon 26 

Patrick Henry's Address, 1775 29 

Cliveden, Philadelphia 30 

The Procession in Commemoration of the Death of George 

Washington, Philadelphia, December 26, 1799 35 

Robert Morris 39 

Houses occupied by Washington and Morris at Philadelphia . . 41 

A Call for Volunteers to serve under General Washington ... 43 

A Fourth of July Celebration in Old Philadelphia 47 

The House Robert Morris was Unable to complete 49 

Daniel Boone Ready for the Trail 52 

Daniel Boone and his Dog 55 

Daniel Boone's First Glimpse of Kentucky ^y 

On Boone's Wilderness Road 59 

Monument to the Road Builder, Daniel Boone, on the Wilderness 

Road 63 

Daniel Boone's Missouri Cabin 66 

Thomas Jefferson 69 

Old Courthouse, Williamsburg, Virginia 71 

Drafting the Declaration of Independence 74 

ix 



X MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

PAGE 

The United States Capitol in 1 814 75 

Thomas Jefferson's Residence in Philadelphia 78 

George Rogers Clark 81 

George Rogers Clark conferring with the Indians 85 

Fort Sackville, Vincennes, Indiana . 90 

Trading with the Indians 92 

Marching through the Water to \'incennes 94 

Alexander Hamilton 99 

Market Place at St. Croix 10 1 

Old City Hall, Wall Street, New York, in 1776 103 

The Marquis de Lafayette 105 

At the Docks in Philadelphia 109 

Robert Fulton 113 

The C/ennont ...117 

The Wreck of the ^w^/Z^zi/ , . 119 

The United States War Vessel Z^e-w^^^^w, 1 81 4 121 

Eli Whitney i 24 

The Old Brick Row at Yale College . 125 

The Cotton Gin 127 

The Cotton Gin at Work i 29 

A Modern Cotton Gin 131 

The Houses where John Adams and John Quincy Adams were 

born, Quincy, Massachusetts 136 

John Quincy Adams I39 

Building the Frigate Philadelphia 141 

The City of Washington, 1800 143 

An Early View of Washington 145 

John James Audubon 148 

Mill Grove, on the Perkiomen, near Philadelphia 1 49 

Floating down the Ohio on a Flatboat 151 

Meadow Starlings, or Meadow Larks 154 

Audubon's Woodpecker I57 

Daniel Webster 161 

An Early Steam Locomotive 169 

Old Railroad Coach used between Boston and Providence in 1 840 i 70 

The United States Capitol in 1850 171 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS xi 

PAGE 

Peter Cooper 175 

The First Railway Car in Washington 1 78 

The First Trip of the Tom Thumb 180 

Samuel F. B. Morse 187 

Before the Days of Transatlantic Steamships 195 

The Transatlantic Steamship /^////^/z, 1855 197 

An Early Transatlantic Steamer 199 

Sam Houston 202 

An Indian War Dance 205 

San Jose Mission, San Antonio, Texas 209 

The Alamo, San Antonio, Texas 211 

Robert E. Lee 217 

An Old Plantation Schoolhouse 218 

View of the Hudson River from West Point 220 

Fort San Juan de Ulloa, Vera Cruz 221 

Henry W. Longfellow 228 

Longfellow's House, Cambridge 230 

Longfellow's Library 23 [ 

The Front Hall, Longfellow's Home, Cambridge 235 

Abraham Lincoln 239 

Abraham Lincoln's Birthplace 240 

The Boy Lincoln Studying 242 

Lincoln as a Storekeeper 244 

Cyrus H. McCormick 255 

The Old Blacksmith Shop where the First Reaper was made . . 256 

Interior View of Blacksmith Shop 257 

Model of the First Reaper 259 

A Modern Reaper 263 

Horace Greeley 268 

The Kitchen of a Prosperous Home in Greeley's Day . . . . 270 

Bicycle Riding when Greeley was a Boy 273 

Cyrus W. Field 279 

The Cable Tank on Shipboard 284 

The Landing of the Cable at Valentia, Ireland 285 

The Great Eastern 287 

The Atlantic Cable Projectors 289 



xii MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

PAGE 

Ulysses S. Grant 292 

Grant with his Family 297 

Grant's Message to Lee 300 

Grant's Headquarters at City Point, Virginia 302 

Francis Parkman 308 

On Lake George 3' i 

The Ruins of Fort Ticonderoga 312 

Treating with the Indians, King Philip's War . . . < . . . 314 

Standing Bear, Sioux Chief 3^7 

A Mississippi River Steamboat 324 

A Gold Miner's Cabin 325 

Mark Twain at Work 328 

John Muir 332 

John Muir's Desk 33^ 

Clinch River, Tennessee, crossed by John Muir on his Tramp to 

Florida 339 

Glacier Point in the Yosemite 340 

Muir Glacier, Alaska 34 1 

Sidney Lanier 344 

A Mountain Mocking Bird 346 

Thomas A. Edison at Seventeen 354 

Thomas A. Edison in his Laboratory 358 

Thomas A. Edison at the Desk 360 

Thomas A. Edison 362 

Alexander Graham Bell 3^7 

The Terminal Room at a Bell Central Switchboard 372 

Section of the Rear of a Switchboard 375 



MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 






As we enjoy great advantages from the inventions of 
others, we should be glad to serve others by any inven- 
tion of ours. 

Benjamin Franklin 







CHAPTER I 

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN, THE MANY-SIDED 

(Born in Boston, January i 7, i 706 ; died in Philadelphia, April 1 7, 1 790) 

It has been pointed out as a curious fact that 
the Enghsh ancestors of Frankhn and Washington 
Hved within a few miles of each other. Frankhn's 
father's home was in Eaton, sixty miles from 
London, while Sulgrave Manor, the estate of the 
Washington family, was close by. 

Josiah Franklin came to Boston in 1685, when 
the city had about five thousand inhabitants. Here 
Benjamin was born, the thirteenth child in a family 
of seventeen, and the tenth and youngest son. 

At first Mr. Franklin intended to make a minis- 
ter of his son, and, at the age of eight, sent him 
to school. When the boy was ten years old his 
father needed him in the Franklin tallow chandler's 
shop, and kept him there for two years. 

Benjamin was a real boy. He found plenty of 

3 



MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 



opportunities for sport of all kinds. He was at 
home on or in the water. His first invention was 
a contrivance which enabled him. to swim faster. 
Later he tried his first experiment with a kite. 
By its aid he was drawn along the surface of the 

water, sometimes at 
a rate too rapid for 
comfort. 

After he was twelve 
years old opportuni- 
ties for sport were not 
so plentiful, for he was 
then apprenticed to 
his brother James, to 
learn the printer's 
trade. For a period 
of nine years, or until 
he was twenty-one, he 
bound himself to serve 
his master faithfully, to keep his master's secrets, 
and to do his lawful commands. 

Experience in the printing office made the ap- 
prentice wish to increase his meager knowledge. 
There were difficulties in the way, however; time 
for reading was scarce, and it was not always easy 
to secure books. So he arranged with his brother 
that he should be allowed for his board half the 




BENJAMIN FRANKLIN 



II 



BENJAMIN FRANKLIN 5 

amount spent on the other apprentices, and he 
managed to Hve on half of this reduced amount. 
The small sum saved in this way helped him 
to pay for books, while the time saved from his 
meals gave him more leisure for his reading. 




AN EARLY VIEW OF INDEPENDENCE HALL 



When he was seventeen, a disagreement with 
his. brother led him to leave the printing office. 
Unable to secure work at other Boston printing 
offices because of the tales his brother told about 
him, he sailed for New York, paying his fare by 
the sale of some of his books. 

Learning that no work could be secured from 
the one printer in New York, he made up his 



6 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

mind to go to Philadelphia. The first stage of the 
journey, to Amboy, was made by boat. From there 
he trudged along the road to Burlington, where he 
took passage in another boat for his destination. 

The picture given in his Autobiography of his 
arrival in Philadelphia is famous : 

I was in my working dress, my best clothes being to 
come by sea. I was covered with dirt ; my pockets were 
filled with shirts and stockings ; I was unacquainted with 
a single soul in the place, and knew not where to seek for a- 
lodging. Fatigued with walking, rowing, and having passed 
the night without sleep, I was extremely hungry, and all 
my money consisted of a Dutch dollar, and about a shil- 
ling's worth of copper, which I gave to the boatman for my 
passage... . . 

I walked towards the top of the street, looking eagerly 
on both sides, till I came to Market Street, when I met 
a child with a loaf of bread. Often had I made my dinner 
on dry bread. I inquired wh^e he had bought it, and went 
straight to the baker's shop, which he pointed out to me. . . . 

I desired him to let me have three penny-worth of bread 
of some kind or other. He gave me three large rolls. I 
was surprised at receiving so much. I took them, however, 
and having no room in my pockets, I walked on with a roll 
under each arm, eating the third. In this manner I went 
through Market Street to Fourth Street, and passed the 
home of Mr. Read, the father of my future wife. She was 
standing at the door, observed me, and thought with reason, 
that I made a very singular and grotesque appearance. 



BENJAMIN FRANKLIN 7 

Franklin soon found that the two printers in 
Philadelphia were not good workmen. He worked, 
however, for one of these until Sir William Keith, 
governor of the province, became interested in 
him, and urged him to set up a printing ofifice 
of his own, promising his patronage. Franklin 
went to Boston and asked for his father's assist- 
ance, but this was refused. Thereupon Mr. Keith 
offered to advance the money needed, since, as 
he said, he was resolved to have a good printer in 
Philadelphia. 

Acting on his suggestion, Franklin sailed for 
London, trusting in the governor's promise that 
letters of introduction and funds for the voyage 
and for the purchase of printing material would 
be sent on board the vessel. Not until he arrived 
in the English Channel did he learn that Mr. Keith 
had failed to keep his promise. He landed in 
London with little money and no friends. 

With James Ralph, who had accompanied him, 
he took the best lodgings he could afford. Then he 
secured employment from a printer with whom 
he remained nearly a year, spending most of his 
savings on Ralph, who did not seem to be able 
to take care of himself. 

His next situation was in a large office where 
about fifty men were employed. These men looked 



8 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

on him as a curiosity. He told the reason in his 
Autobiography : 

I drank nothing but water. The other workmen were 
great drinkers of beer. I carried occasionally a large form 
of letters in each hand, up and down stairs, while the rest 
employed both hands to carry one. They were surprised to 
see, by this and many other examples, that the American 
Aquatic, as they used to call me, was stronger than those 
who drank porter. . . . My fellow pressman drank every 
day a pint of beer before breakfast, a pint with bread and 
cheese for breakfast, one between breakfast and dinner, one 
again about six o'clock in the afternoon, and another after 
he had finished his day's work. The custom appeared to 
me abominable, but he had need, he said, of all this beer, 
in order to acquire strength to work. 

Franklin failed to convince the man that there 
was more nourishment in a penny loaf of bread 
than in a quart of beer. But he made no change 
in his own habits, and in turn he persuaded some 
of his companions to adopt his diet. 

After eighteen months in London he returned to 
America with a merchant who asked him to be his 
assistant, and he remained with the merchant until 
the latter died, the following year. 

During a season of employment with his old 
master in the printing business he made type and 
ink, learned to be an engraver, and built the first 
copperplate press made in America. On this press 



BENJAMIN FRANKLIN 9 

he helped engrave a quantity of paper money for 
the Province of New Jersey. 

In the intervals of work he made many friends 
among the young men of Philadelphia. Instead, 
however, of leading them into amusements that 
would not help them, he persuaded them to organ- 
ize a debating society which he called the Junto. 
Out of this club grew the American Philosophical 
Society and the Library Company of Philadelphia. 

In partnership with one of his friends, whom 
he had helped in time of diflficulty, he opened a 
printing office of his own. The work he turned 
out was so good that he did not lack for employ- 
ment. In this office, in 1729, he began the publi- 
cation of The Pennsylvania Gazette, which became 
the leading paper of the colony. In 1732 he issued 
the first number of his famous Almanac. Almanacs 
issued by hundreds of other printers were almost 
worthless, but Franklin's '^Poor Richard's Alma- 
nack" became famous because of the quaint sayings 
and maxims of Poor Richard. 

By this time the young printer was looked on in 
Philadelphia as one of the first citizens, public- 
spirited and eager to advance the interests of his 
city. By economy and attention to business, and 
by the assistance of his careful wife, he had come 
to a place where he could give the time he longed 



lO 



MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 



to devote to those about him. The founding of the 
first pubHc Hbrary in America was but the begin- 
ning of his general activities. He was responsible 
for the substitution of paid constables for the in- 
efficient " town watch " ; he led in establishing the 
first volunteer fire company in the city ; he aroused 



Pott r Richard, 1 7 ^ • 



Almanack 

FortheYcarofChfjft 

^7 3 3^ 

Beine the Firft *ftrr LEAP YEAR t 



U herein ti ccniaimi. 
The Lunations. Etiipii'v, Jua'gm<nt r.f" 

tke W5.«h»», JpNng Tid«l. PUr.th M-(it>lufc 
mjtujl Afofiis, Sjr. ii.J Mi)..r.'. Rifirg tt.iS-* 
t:ng, I.*ttglh «fDav-s T^y{T of Hi^ Water, 

rifted to thr Lslttude of F^rty I>5«t»«s, 

«»d » MeHJun of FiwMouKW.ft fr<jm7,~i«. 
»wt »U', wilhout fn>tti« E>T.^ ii-^ >l'-»h« vi 
I»<m<^ ?1k<i, r»m from. )."(«..'j«Ji"<.ilo ^"|=- 
'C«va.» ., 

By nia-U^r) S.^'SD£RS, Philom. 



P H I L A D E L p. H r A . 



'/y .W>». May haih xisi d«T. 



an Af re of L»nd art 43 joo J«ju«rc tevt, 
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3 l^aft Quarter. 
^6 f^ Up.„<A^ 



TWO PAGES FROM "POOR RICHARD'S ALMANACK" 

the people of Philadelphia to the necessity of form- 
ing a volunteer company for defense against pos- 
sible enemies; he persisted in talking of the need 
for schools until, in 1749, the Philadelphia Academy, 
which became the University of Pennsylvania, was 
organized ; he urged the founding of a hospital, and 
in 1755 succeeded in laying the corner stone of the 



BENJAMIN FRANKLIN 



1 1 



Pennsylvania Hospital ; and he led the way in the 
paving of the city streets with stone. 

In the midst of these public activities he found 
time for making experiments in electricity, and 
for continuing his 
reading and other 
studies. In his 
Autobiography he 
told of one way 
he compelled him- 
self to improve his 
mind : 

I had begun in 
1733 to study lan- 
guages ; I soon made 
myself as much a 
master of the French 
as to be able to read 
the books with ease. 
I then undertook the 
Italian. An acquaint- 
ance who was also 
learning it, used often 
to tempt me to play 

chess with him. Finding this took up too much of the 
time I had to spare for study, I at length refused to play any 
more, unless on the condition that the victor in every game 
should have a right to enforce a task, either in parts of 
the grammar to be got by heart, or in translation, et cetera. 




FRANKLIN'S ELECTRICAL MACHINE 

Now in possession of the Library Company 
of Philadelphia 



12 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

which tasks the vanquished was to perform upon honor, 
before our next meeting. As we played equally, we thus 
beat one another into that language. 

His habits of study and investigation led to the 
invention of the Franklin stove. When the governor 
of the province offered him a patent, he refused it, 
giving as his reason " that as we enjoy great ad- 
vantages from the inventions of others we should 
be glad of an opportunity to serve others by any 
invention of ours." 

His interest in electricity, which had led him to 
make a number of minor experiments, was increased 
by a glass tube for the generation of electricity by 
rubbing which was brought from London to the 
library he had founded. He had similar tubes made 
for many of his friends. Finally he succeeded in 
making the first electrical battery. This he im- 
proved later by the use of the Leyden jar. • 

His first great discovery was that electricity is 
not created by friction, but that it is " really an ele- 
ment diffused among, and attracted by, other matter, 
particularly by water and metals." This discovery 
opened the way for the serious development of elec- 
trical knowledge. His suggestion that electricity 
and lightning are the same caused a sensation, but 
he proved his point by drawing electricity from the 
clouds by means of his famous kite. The invention 



BENJAMIN FRANKLIN 13 

of the lightning rod was one result ; another result 
was his election as a member of famous societies 
of scientists in Europe. 

In 1753 Franklin was made Postmaster-General 
for the colonies, and he succeeded in making great 
improvements in the method of transporting mails. 
During his term of office he went to western Penn- 
sylvania to advise with General Braddock, who was 
conducting his campaign against the French and 
Indians. There he first met George Washington. 

More than twenty years before the beginning of 
the Revolutionary War, he saw signs of the coming- 
break with England. In 1756 he was sent to Eng- 
land on a mission for the colony of Pennsylvania, 
and managed to secure the correction of certain just 
grievances. Later he was instrumental in forcing 
the repeal of the Stamp Act. 

Sometimes his activities were misunderstood by 
the colonists, who felt that he was too friendly with 
England. But he went on with his work, undis- 
turbed, and in time it was evident to all that he 
was a thorough patriot. 

On his return from England, in 1775, he was 
received with eagerness and was made a member 
of the Continental Congress. He was one of those 
who drafted the Declaration of Independence, and 
was one of the signers of the document. 




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14 



BENJAMIN FRANKLIN 1 5 

His most important and delicate service to the 
colonies was given while he was diplomatic agent 
in France, from 1776 to 1785. Just before leaving 
Philadelphia for Paris he lent Congress about 
twenty thousand dollars, and during the early years 
of his long stay abroad, he persuaded first individ- 
uals and then the government of France to follow 
his example in supplying funds toward the expense 
of the war. His success was a pleasant surprise to 
the friends of freedom. 

Everywhere he went he received a hearty wel- 
come, for, as John Adams said later, " his name 
was familiar to government and people, to kings, 
courtiers, nobility, clergy, and philosophers, as well 
as plebeians, to such a degree that there was 
scarcely a peasant or a citizen, a valet-de-chambre, 
a coachman, a footman, a lady's chambermaid, or 
a scullion in a kitchen, who was not familiar 
with it, and who did not consider him a friend to 
human kind." 

In less than three months after his arrival in 
Paris he succeeded in overcoming the objection of 
the government to the making of a secret loan to 
the United States, and he sent on the first install- 
ment of the two million francs promised. Other 
loans followed until twenty-six million francs had 
been forwarded. 



i6 



MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 



In May, 1777, he said good-by to the Marquis 
de Lafayette, who sailed for America in a vessel 
fitted out at his own expense. Next Franklin per- 
suaded the government to recognize the inde- 
pendence of the United States and to promise to 











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STENTON 
A Philadelphia house where Franklin was frequently a guest 

assist in maintaining this independence against the 
enemies of the country. Other envoys were asso- 
ciated with him in these negotiations, but their 
presence proved more of a hindrance than a help. 
Soon afterward a fleet of French war vessels 
sailed for America. These vessels were followed 



BENJAMIN FRANKLIN I 7 

by French troops who were of incalculable value 
in winning independence for the colonies. This 
timely assistance was due largely to Franklin's 
personality, tact, and personal charm. He had, 
moreover, roused an enthusiasm for personal and 
national liberty that was in some measure respon- 
sible not only for the expression of French sympathy 
but for the French Revolution itself. 

From 1 78 1 to 1783 he was one of those who 
conducted the peace negotiations with Great Britain 
that led to the treaty of 1783. Two years later, 
when he left Paris for America, all classes united 
in honoring him as the most popular foreigner 
who had ever been the guest of the nation. Thomas 
Jefferson, who was appointed to follow Franklin, 
said that he was merely succeeding him. " No one 
can replace him," he insisted. And the French 
people agreed. 

After Franklin's return to America he was presi- 
dent of the Pennsylvania Supreme Council (governor), 
serving from 1785 to 1788. Flis final service to the 
country was as a member of the council which 
drafted the Constitution. 

During the closing days of his life he wrote a por- 
tion of his Autobiography, though he was never able 
to complete this book. In the quiet of his own 
home, with his children and grandchildren about 



1 8 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

him, he Hved peacefully and contentedly. To a 
friend he told of his feelings at this time : 

Let us sit ' till the evening of life is spent. The last 
hours are always the most joyful. When we can stay no 
longer, it is time enough then to bid each other good-night, 
separate, and go quietly to bed. 

References for Further Reading 

Autobiography. 

Dudley, E. Lawrence. Benjamin Franklin. The Macmillan Com- 
pany, New York. 

Fisher, Sydney George. The True Benjamin FrankHn. J. B. Lip- 
pincott Company, Philadelphia. 






I believe 1 may with great truth affirm, that no man 
perhaps since the first institution of armies ever commanded 
one under more difficult circumstances than I have done. 

George Washington 






CHAPTER II 

GEORGE WASHINGTON, '' FATHER OF HIS 
COUNTRY " 

(Born at Wakefield, Virginia, February 22, 1732; died at Mt. Vernon, 
Virginia, December 14, 1799) 

I 

A schoolmaster named Hobby once made the 
claim that he was responsible for the best of George 
Washington's education. It is true that Hobby kept 
a little school near Washington's early home, and 
that Washington was for a time one of his pupils, 
but it is not likely that the boy learned more 
than the merest rudiments from this teacher, for 
Hobby was one of the many men who had been 
sent from England to America as a penalty for 
wrongdoing. 

When George was eleven years old his father, 
Augustine Washington, died, and the boy's later 
education was directed by his mother and by his 

19 



20 



MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 



half brother, Major Lawrence Washington, at whose 
estate. Mount Vernon, he spent much of his time. 

It was ckie to the advice of Lawrence Washington 
that George, w4ien he was fourteen, decided that he 

wished to go to 
sea as a midship- 
man. He asked 
his mother's per- 
mission. At first 
she seemed will- 
ing, but later she 
longed to with- 
draw her consent. 
A letter written 
by a friend, in 
September, 1746, 
said : 

She seems to in- 
timate a dislike to 
George's going to 
Sea and says several 
Persons have told her it 's a very bad Scheme. She offers 
several trifling objections such as a fond and unthinking 
Mother naturally suggests, and I find that one word against 
his going has more weight than ten for it. 

When Mrs. W^ashington finally decided against 
the step, she sent her son to a clergyman in 



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GEORGE WASHINGTON 



GEORGE WASHINGTON 



21 



Fredericksburg, and by him the boy was taught 
for some time. At the age of sixteen George 
could write well, 
he knew enough 
about arithmetic for 
practical purposes, 
and he understood 
how to survey land, 
an invaluable ac- 
complishment in 
those days. 

In the Depart- 
ment of State at 
Washington, there 
is still preserved 
a plot made by 
him of the region 
about Mount Ver- 
non. When he 
was sixteen he 
made a plot of 
Major Washing- 
ton's turnip field. 
A neighbor. Lord Thomas Fairfax, gave him a com- 
mission to assist in making surveys at some distance 
from home, and soon after his sixteenth birthday 
he set out to the appointed place, accompanied by 




V 




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7.*. ' . . 






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PLOT OF THE REGION ABOUT MT. VERNON 
MADE BY GEORGE WASHINGTON 

From the original in the Department of State 
at Washington 



2 2 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

several old surveyors. While on this trip he kept a 
journal. In this may be read an account of a night's 
entertainment in a settler's cabin : 

We got our Suppers and were Lighted into a Room and 
I not being so good a Woodsman as y^ rest of my Com- 
pany striped myself very early and went to y^ Bed as they 
called it when to my surprize I found it to be nothing but 
a Little Straw — matted together without Sheets or any 
thing else but only one thread-Bear blanket with double its 
weight of Vermin. ... I was glad to get up (as soon as 
y^ Light was carried from us). I put on my Cloths and 
Layd as my Companions. ... I made a promise not to 
sleep so from that time forward Chusing rather to sleep in 
y^ open Air before a fire. 

George was better as a surveyor than he was as a 
speller. 

Soon, after his return from this trip, when he was 
seventeen, he was asked to act as surveyor for the 
College of William and Mary. He had found what 
he thought was to be the occupation by which he 
was to make his living and care for his mother and 
his younger brothers and sisters. 

Three busy years he spent as a surveyor. He 
did his work well ; it has been said that no one has 
ever found an error in it. Many land records in 
Virginia make mention of his surveys. 

During these early days he laid the foundation 
for his future wealth, for as he traveled he made 



GEORGE WASHINGTON 



note of lands he thought it would be worth while 
to own. As he was able to do so, he bought some 
of these. 

Before he was twenty-one, however, another plan 
for his future was made by Major Washington. He 
was interested in the Ohio Company, which had 
been organized to 
colonize the west- 
ern portion of 
Virginia and to 
secure the trade 
of the West. It 
was feared that 
the French would 
lay claim to the 
lands in which the 
Company wished 
to operate. Major 
Washington re- 
signed from the Colonial Army that he might 
devote himself to the project. Eager for the help 
of his brother, Major Washington secured for him 
an appointment with the Company. 

The serious illness of the major interfered wath 
these plans. He went to Bermuda for his health, 
and his brother went with him. While in Bermuda 
the younger brother was attacked by smallpox. 



> >e 






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WASHINGTON AS A SURVEYOR 



24 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

Not long after his return home Major Washing- 
ton died, and George Washington was made the 
owner of Mount Vernon and the guardian of 
his niece. W^hen he added to his burdens the 
care of his mother's estate, his responsibihties 
were large. 

This peaceful employment was interrupted when 
Governor Dinwiddie asked him to go on a danger- 
ous errand. It had been learned that the French 
were building a fort somewhere in the region 
in which the Ohio Company was interested. 
Captain Trent had been sent to learn the loca- 
tion of this fort, but he had returned in fright 
because, long before reaching the vicinity of the 
fort, he had been told of the dreadful things the 
French proposed to do to any Englishman found in 
that section. The governor had had such good re- 
ports of Washington that he felt safe in asking him 
to do what the older and more experienced man 
had been afraid to do. 

Carrying a message to the French commander 
on the Ohio, the young leader set out in the early 
winter of 1753. For a week he and his party pushed 
through the wilderness before they reached the 
Ohio, and many weeks more were required to com- 
plete the journey to the French fort. The fort 
was reached safely because of Washington's tactful 



GEORGE WASHINGTON 25 

dealings with the Indians, who promised him that 
they would help the English instead of the French. 

Finally the letter was given to the French com- 
mander. It told him that he and his men would be 
treated as trespassers, that their fort would be taken, 
and that they would be driven from the country. 

Only a brave man could have delivered such a 
message, and only a brave man could have endured 
the perils of the return journey, in the midst of 
enemies, in the depth of winter, over roads that 
were all but impassable. Some ten weeks after set- 
ting out from home, Washington handed to the 
governor the French commander's defiance. 

Three months later, at the age of twenty-two, 
Washington was promoted to the rank of lieutenant 
colonel, as a recognition of a task well done. 

Soon he was again on the way to the Ohio 
country, this time in charge of one hundred and 
fifty men enlisted to go to the relief of Captain 
Trent, who had been commissioned to build a fort 
on the Ohio. In his first brush with the French, he 
was successful, but he was later forced to surrender 
the hastily erected Fort Necessity, in which he tried 
to oppose the enemy when they confronted him in 
far superior numbers. 

But he was to have another opportunity. When 
General Braddock was sent out from England to 



26 



MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 



drive the French from the Ohio, Washington was 
asked to serve as aid-de-camp with the rank of 
colonel. Soon the colonial adviser saw that the 
English officer was making serious mistakes in 
his advance, but pleas and protests were in vain. 
Braddock insisted that English regulars could 

march through 
any country and 
could withstand 
any enemy ; but 
when his fifteen 
hundred men were 
surprised at the 
Monongahela by 
half as many 
French and Indi- 
ans, and badly 
defeated, it was 
evident that Wash- 
ington's advice was good. Yet Braddock could 
not profit by the lesson; he did not survive the 
destruction of his troops. 

Although the campaign was a failure, Washington 
was given high praise for his part in it. The 
Reverend Samuel Davies soon after spoke of him 
in a sermon which he preached to a regiment of 
Virginia soldiers : 




THE OCTAGON BARN AT MT. VERNON 
Designed by Washington 



GEORGE WASHINGTON 



27 



I may point out to the public that heroic" youth, Colonel 
Washington, whom I cannot but hope Providence has 
hitherto preserved in so singular a manner for some impor- 
tant service to his country. 

In response to urgent pleas that he do what he 
could to atone for the failure of Braddock, Wash- 
ington declared that he was always ready and 
willing to render his country any service of which 
he was capable. 

To his mother, who told him she wished he 
would remain at home, he wrote : 

If it is in my power to avoid going to the Ohio again, 
I shall ; but if the command is pressed upon me, by the 
general voice of the country, and offered upon such terms 
as cannot be objected against, it would reflect dishonor upon 
me to refuse ; and that, I am sure, must or ought to give 
you greater uneasiness than my going on an honorable 
command, for upon no other terms will I accept it. 

The honorable command was offered to him 
on August 14, 1755, when he was made com- 
mander in chief of the Virginia forces. The cam- 
paign on which he entered soon after lasted four 
years. During this time he saw hard service, he 
learned to keep himself under good control when 
less efficient British officers insisted that they 
were his superiors, and he did what he could 
to make their blunders harmless. Finally, on 



28 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

November 25, 1758, he was at the head of the 
troops which were in the lead when Fort Duquesne, 
on the site of what is now Pittsburgh, was taken 
from the French. 

Some months later an address of thanks was 
made to him by the Virginia House of Burgesses. 
He was so overcome that he was unable to reply. 
The speaker, noting his confusion, said to him, 
warmly: '* Sit down, Mr. Washington. Your mod- 
esty equals your valor, and that surpasses the 
power of any language I possess." 

The modest man thought his military life was 
at an end. Soon after his return from the West he 
married Mrs. Martha Custis, and with her he spent 
six years at Mount Vernon. But this peaceful life 
was interrupted by a new call from his country. 

II 

'' I will raise a thousand men, enlist them at 
my own expense, and march myself at the head 
for the relief of Boston." Thus George Washington 
spoke when word came to him that the English 
Government was about to send troops to Boston. 
No w^onder one who heard it called this " the 
most eloquent speech that was ever made," for 
Washington was slow to speak, and he was known 
to be a friend of Governor Dinwiddie of Virginia, 



GEORGE WASHINGTON 



29 



who was furious because of the colonists' opposition 
to Great Britain. 

In company with Patrick Henry and five others 
from Virginia, Washington was sent to the first 
Continental Con- 
gress at Philadel- 
phia to decide 
what should be 
done. A demand 
was made on the 
king and the Par- 
liament for fair 
treatment, but 
soon after the re- 
turn of the dele- 
gates to their 
homes they had to 
make up their 
minds that Eng- 
land would pay no 
attention to pro- 
tests, and that preparations for war must be made. 

The second Continental Congress met in the 
State House, now Independence Hall, in Phila- 
delphia in May, 1775. At the convention which 
elected Washington as a delegate to this Congress 
he heard the impassioned words of Patrick Henry: 




PATRICK HENRY'S ADDRESS, 1775 
' Give me liberty, or give me death " 



30 



MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 



Is life so dear or peace so sweet as to be purchased at 
the price of chains and slavery ? Forbid it, Almighty God 1 
I know not what course others may take ; but as for me^ 
give me liberty, or give me death ! 

These words were ringing in Washington's ears 
when he rode away from Mount Vernon on the 




CLIVEDEN, PHILADELPHIA 
Where Washington was frequently entertained 

morning of May 3, 1775, prepared to serve his 
country throughout the struggle he knew was 
coming. It was eight years before he saw his 
home again. 

Massachusetts favored the selection of John 
Hancock as commander in chief of the army that 



GEORGE WASHINGTON 3 1 

all agreed must be organized, but Virginia urged 
that Washington be chosen, in view of his long ex- 
perience as a soldier. His election was unanimous. 
In accepting the appointment, he said : 

Lest some unhappy event should happen unfavorable to 
my reputation, I beg it may be remembered by every gentle- 
man in the room that I this day declare, with the utmost 
sincerity, I do not think myself equal to the command I 
am favored with. As to pay, I beg leave to assure the 
Congress that as no pecuniary compensation could have 
tempted me to accept this arduous employment, I do not 
wish to make any profit from it. I will keep an exact 
account of my expenses. These, I doubt not, they will 
discharge, and that is all I desire. 

Eight days later he was on his way to Boston, 
where the battle of Bunker Hill had just been 
fought. In Boston he was received with cheers, 
yet many of those who cheered did not know 
who he was, or what he had done. 

When he finally stood at the head of his 
troops, he issued as his first general order a call 
for unity of effort: 

The Continental Congress, having now taken all the 
troops of the several Colonies, which have been raised for 
the support and defense of America, into the Payed 
Service : They are now the troops of the United Provinces 
of North America ; and it is hoped that all Distinction of 
Colonies will be laid aside, so that one and the same spirit 



32 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

may animate the whole, and the only contest be who shall 
render, on this great and trying occasion, the most essen- 
tial service to the great and common cause in which we 
are all engaged. 

But it was not so easy to persuade the troops 
to do as he suggested. Petty jealousies among 
the colonies and even among the officers made it 
very hard to weld the troops into one army. 

This was not Washington's only difficulty. In- 
competent and sometimes cowardly officers, poor 
equipment, lack of funds, short enlistments, the 
unreadiness of the colonies to respond to appeals 
for more men and a larger quantity of supplies, 
and other annoyances by the score combined to 
make his difficulties almost unbearable. 

Once he wrote to his brother: 

I believe I may with great truth affirm, that no man 
perhaps since the first institution of armies ever com- 
manded one under more difficult circumstances than I 
have done. 

In another personal letter, he wrote: 

Such is my situation that if I were to wish the bitterest 
curse to an enemy on this side of the grave, I should put 
him in my stead. 

On one occasion he said to Congress : 

An army of good officers moves like clockwork ; but there 
is no situation on earth less enviable, nor more distressing, 



GEORGE WASHINGTON 33 

than that person's who is at the head of troops which are 
regardless of order and discipHne, and who are unprovided 
with almost every necessity. 

Yet he did not falter. He had devoted himself to 
the cause of the colonies, and he was prepared to 
be true to his trust in spite of all discouragements. 

A stroke of genius Hke the surprise of the 
Hessians at Trenton was necessary to inspire the 
people with confidence. Washington realized that 
the attempt was desperate, but he resolved to 
take his chance. " Necessity, dire necessity, will, 
nay must, justify any attempt," he said. The suc- 
cess of the attempt lightened many of his burdens. 
For the time, his trouble with Congress was at an 
end ; he was asked to enlist as many men as he 
desired and to conduct the war as he thought best. 

The events of the next few weeks justified the 
confidence of the people. When Cornwallis tried 
to defeat the American army in New Jersey, 
Washington's conduct of the campaign was bril- 
liant. Indeed, an authority has called it "a cam- 
paign which for skill and daring has no parallel 
in military history and which practically saved 
the American Revolution at a time when the 
bravest hearts despaired." 

Through five years more of alternating despair 
and hope, Washington led the American forces 



34 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

until the day of victory came. Then he was 
summoned to Princeton, where the President of 
Congress gave him a message which, if not alto- 
gether true so far as the past attitude of his fellow 
citizens was concerned, was at least complimentary : 

It has been the particular happiness of the United States 
that, during a war so long, so dangerous, and so important. 
Providence has been graciously pleased to preserve the life 
of a general who has united and preserved the uninter- 
rupted confidence and affection of his fellow citizens. In 
other nations, many have performed eminent services, for 
which they have deserved the thanks of the public. But 
to you. Sir, peculiar praise is due. Your services have been 
essential in acquiring and establishing the freedom and 
independence of your country. They deserve the grateful 
acknowledgments of a free and independent nation. 

When Washington returned to Mount Vernon, 
he wrote to his friend Lafayette, telling of his desire 
for well-earned rest : 

I have not only retired from all public employments, 
but I am resting within myself, and shall be able to view 
the solitary walk, and tread the paths of private life, with 
heartfelt satisfaction. 

Not yet was his country willing to get along 
without him. He was recalled from his retirement 
that he might guide the United States through 
the first attempts to walk alone. 



GEORGE WASHINGTON 35 

After serving as President for eight years, he 
thought he had a right to rest. Accordingly, the 
last years of his life were spent at Mount Vernon. 

When, in 1799, word of his death was sent 
out from his home, the whole country mourned. 




THE PROCESSION IN COMMEMORATION OF THE DEATH OF 
GEORGE WASHINGTON, PHILADELPHIA, DECEMBER 26, 1799 

From Birch's "Views of Philadelphia," 1800 

Worthington Chauncey Ford, in his story of the 
life of the Father of his Country, writes : 

The sight of a nation in mourning is impressive ; and 
it has rarely been presented more impressively than at 
Washington's death. For the moment abuse and noisy 
clamor of party ceased ; and in civilized Europe, as in 



36 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

America, homage was paid to the memory of a man, but 
lately accounted a rebel against his king, and a dangerous 
leader of faction against the interests of the people. No 
royal ruler has commanded the same profound respect 
which was then shown, and to few has it been granted 
to maintain so strong a hold upon the admiration and even 
the veneration of men. 

References for Further Reading 

Ford, Worthixgton Chauncey. George Washington. Charles 
Scribner's Sons, New York. 

Hill, Frederick Tri-:vor. On the Trail of Washington. D. Apple- 
ton and Company, New York. 



I 



The United States may command everything I have 
excepting integrity, and the loss of that would effectually 
disable me from serving them now. 



Robert Morris 



CHAPTER III 

ROBERT MORRIS, FINANCIER OF THE 
REVOLUTION 

(Born in Liverpool, England, in January, i 734 ; died in Philadelphia, 
May 8, 1806) 

One day in 1747 a trading ship from Liverpool 
landed its passengers at Oxford, Maryland. Among 
the most eager of those put on shore was an Eng- 
lish lad of thirteen, Robert Morris, who was met 
by his father, an American buyer of tobacco for 
the owner of the vessel. 

For a time Robert went to school in Oxford ; but 
his progress was so slow that Mr. Morris was glad to 
take advantage of the offer made by a Philadelphia 
merchant to look after the boy's education and set 
him to work. The time given to school life, how- 
ever, was brief, and Robert became an employee of 
the large mercantile house of Charles and Thomas 
Willing. 

37 



^S MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

His employers soon realized that he had in him 
the making of a good merchant. He knew how to 
act on his own responsibility. On one occasion, 
during the absence of his superior, he learned that 
word had just come from England of a sharp in- 
crease in the price of flour. At once he bought 
for the firm all the flour he could secure. Of 
course, local prices advanced as soon as the stock 
of others was exhausted, and some of the merchants 
complained of what they called unfairness. But 
Mr. Willing commended his clerk for his business 
ability. 

When Robert was seventeen years old, the death 
of his father by accident left him alone in the world, 
except for relatives in England whom he did not know. 
Although a little of his father's small estate came to 
him, he was chiefly thrown on his own resources. 

So well did he attend to business that, at the age 
of twenty-one, he was admitted to partnership. The 
son of Charles Willing was admitted at the same 
time. The new firm. Willing and Morris, became 
in time one of the chief business houses in the city. 

Sometimes Mr. Morris accompanied a captain 
of one of the trading ships used by the firm. A 
biographer tells of a trying experience on one of 
these trips. When the vessel was captured by the 
French, who were at war with England, he was set 



ROBERT MORRIS 



39 



ashore in French territory, without means to return 
home. But by repairing a watch for a French- 
man, he earned his passage money to the nearest 
port where a ship could be taken for America. 

In 1765, when 
England attempted 
to enforce the 
Stamp Act, he was 
one of a committee 
appointed to learn 
from the shop- 
keeper who had 
been asked to sell 
the stamped paper 
whether he in- 
tended to offer it 
to the citizens. 
After some persua- 
sion, the man re- 
plied that he would 
not do the work 

until the people asked him to do so. Later, Mr. 
Morris had a prominent part in securing the repeal 
of the unpopular act. 

During the early months of the Revolutionary 
War he urged that peace be made with England. 
There were many who insisted that he was not a 




ROHER'I' MORRIS 



40 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

true patriot, but, on April 23, 1775, he pledged him- 
self to serve the colonies to the end. As member 
of Congress and as vice president of the Committee 
of Safety, of which Benjamin Franklin was presi- 
dent, he showed his readiness to do what he had 
promised. He did not vote for the Declaration of 
Independence, but his later acts showed that he 
was honest in the statement that his negative vote 
was due to his feeling that the colonies might find 
a better way out of their diflficulties. On August 2, 
1776, his name appeared among the signers of the 
Declaration. 

In April, 1776, Congress appointed him to sug- 
gest methods of procuring money for war purposes. 
This was the beginning of the task which occupied 
him to the close of the war. If some wondered at 
his serving those who were not doing as he thought 
best, there was an answer for them in his own words: 

I think that the individual who declines the service of 
his country because its Councils are not conformable to his 
ideas, makes but a bad subject ; a good one can follow, if 
he cannot lead. 

The issue of Continental currency was opposed 
by Mr. Morris; he prophesied the evil results that 
followed. But when his advice was not heeded, he 
did not refuse to give further help. 



ROBERT MORRIS 4 1 

His first efforts were for the infant navy of the 
colonists, but the time soon came when he made 
an appeal to his few friends for the army. On 
December 31, 1776, Washington asked for a large 
sum for immediate use; he feared that his soldiers 
would leave him at a time when every man was 




HOUSES OCCUPIED BY WASHINGTON AND MORRIS AT PHILADELPHIA 

needed. Mr. Morris sent fifty thousand dollars, 
which he raised on his own promise to repay the 
loan. The money was received by Washington in 
time to make the movement on Trenton which en- 
abled him to close with success a disastrous winter. 
The charge was made against Morris that he was 
using his official position to increase his private for- 
tune, while the truth was that he was buying goods 



42 



MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 



for the government under his own name only to 
save money to the colonies, and that his fortune 
was suffering by his attention to government busi- 
ness and drained by his payments for government 
purposes. On November ii, 1777, he felt obliged 
to ask for a leave of absence from Congress, that 
he might attend to his private business, which for 
three years he had almost entirely neglected. 

Even when he retired from Congress, in 1778, 
because he was not eligible to another term, he was 
always ready to serve the country. Learning, on 
one occasion, that Washington was pleading for 
cartridges, and that all the available lead spouting 
on the houses, lead pipe, and other similar material 
had been used, he placed at the disposition of the 
government ninety tons of lead that had just been 
brought to Philadelphia by one of his vessels. Im- 
mediately he set one hundred men to work making 
cartridges, and the next day ammunition was for- 
warded to General Washington. 

At that time Continental currency was so cheap 
that Christopher Marshall paid eighty dollars for 
two hundred handkerchiefs, while Samuel Adams 
gave four hundred dollars for a hat. Shoes cost 
one hundred and twenty-five dollars a pair, and 
even a fishhook cost half a dollar. The king of 
England felt encouraged by this state of affairs ; 



TO ALL BRAVE, HEALTHY, ABLE BODIED, AND WELL 
DISPOSED YOUNG MEN 

IN THIS NEIGHBOURHOOD, WHO HAVE ANY INCLINATION TO JOIN THE TROOPS 
NOW RAISING UNDER 

GENERAL WASHINGTON, 

FOR THE DEFENCE OF THE 

tIBERTIES AND INDEPENBENCE 

OF THE UNITED STATES. 

Againfl ihe hoftilt Jefigns of foreign enemies, 

TAKE"NOTICE, 




THAT Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday at Spotswood in Middlesex 
county, attendance will be given by Lieutenant Reatting with his music and recruiting 
party of company in Major Shute's Battalion of the nth regiment of infantry, com- 
manded by Lieutenant Colonel Aaron Ogden, for the purpose of receiving the enrollment 
of such youth of spirit, as may be willing to enter into this HONOURABLE service. 

The ENCOURAGEMENT at this time, to enlist, is truly liberal and generous, 
namely, a bounty of TWELVE dollars, an annual and fully sufficient supply of good 
and handsome cloathing, a daily allowance of a large and ample ration of provisions, 
together with SIXTY dollars a year in GOLD and SILVER money on account of 
pay, the whole of which the soldier may lay up for himself and friends, as all articles 
proper for his subsistance and comfort are provided by law, without any expence to him. 

Those who may favour this recruiting party with their attendance as above, will have 
an opportunity of hearing and seeing in a more particular manner, the great advantages 
which these brave men will have, wIyo shall embrace this opportunity of spending a few 
happy years in viewing the different parts of this beautiful continent, in the honourable and 
truly respectable character of a soldier, after which, he may, if he pleases return home 
to his friends, with his pockets FULL of money and his head COVERED with laurels. 
GOD SAVE THE UNITED STATES 
(1799-) 
A CALL FOR VOLUNTEERS TO SERVE UNDER GENERAL WASHINGTON 

A reproduction of this broadside was used in the campaign of 191 7 for 
volunteers to serve in the Great War in Europe 

43 



44 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

he thought that the poor financing of the colonies 
would win the war for him. 

Money for war purposes had been coming from 
France, but it became known that no more would 
be sent unless better plans were devised. 

An effort was made to raise funds by means of 
a lottery, but this plan was a failure. Again Con- 
gress turned to Morris in the emergency. He was 
asked to serve as Superintendent of Finance, in 
place of the old Treasury Board, and he was assured 
that matters would be entirely in his hands. On 
May 1 6, 1781, he wrote, in reply to the invitation, 
*' The United States may command everything I 
have excepting integrity, and the loss of that would 
effectually disable me from serving them now." 

One of the first demands made on the new 
official was for money, provisions, and means of 
transportation for Washington's men from Dobbs 
Ferry, New York, to Yorktown, Virginia. How 
serious Morris thought the emergency is shown by 
the appeal for help made to the governor of Vir- 
ginia, the state which would be most benefited by 
the new campaign : 

Those who may be justly chargeable with neglect will 
have to answer for it to the country, to their allies, to the 
present generation, and to posterity. I hope, entreat, ex- 
pect, the utmost possible efforts on the part of your state. 



ROBERT MORRIS 45 

Imperative calls from the army for money fol- 
lowed rapidly. " I wish it to come on the wings 
of the wind," was one message. Morris must have 
been driven almost wild by the clamor, but some- 
how he managed to send funds as needed. He 
borrowed wherever he could, pledging his financial 
credit, asking his friends to help him, and advanc- 
ing every dollar of his own on which he could lay 
his hand. 

In the midst of his work as financier he was 
made Agent of Marine for the colonies. It was 
his task to see that the small navy was supported 
and increased. To this new work he gave much of 
his time and strength, although he was already 
overburdened. 

The establishment of the Bank of North America 
was a part of Morris's financial plan on which 
everything depended. Capital could not be raised 
at home. He sent a cargo of flour to Cuba, the 
receipts for which were to go into the stock of the 
bank ; but the vessel was captured by the British. 
Later he hoped for a shipment of gold from 
France, but the vessel, driven from its course, was 
compelled to put in at Boston. The casks and 
boxes of currency had to be transported across 
the country. Morris succeeded so well in planning 
for the hazardous trip that the money came safely 



46 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

to Philadelphia, the bank was duly organized, and 
the French money in its vaults became security 
for the notes issued. 

The payment of war taxes by the states was 
slow. Once, when $2,000,000 were due, only $5500 
came, and this sum was from a single state. Not 
even apologies for nonpayment were made. In 
more than two years the total of taxes of all kinds 
received was but $750,000, while the cost of the 
war for that period was close to $30,000,000. 

Some of the states insisted on paying their taxes 
in supplies, and it frequently became necessary for 
the financier to transport the goods to Europe 
for sale. 

In desperation he issued his own notes, which 
were to be redeemed when taxes were paid. These 
were called by the people " Long Bobs " and 
" Short Bobs," according to the date of maturity. 
Each of these was signed by Morris himself. The 
bills circulated at par, and every bill was redeemed. 
The government's credit was almost worthless, but 
the credit of one honorable man saved the day. 

It Avas hard for Morris to steel himself against 
the appeals of individual ofificers for back pay. On 
one occasion, when General St. Clair told of a 
starving family at home, for whom he had not a 
dollar, Morris gave him three hundred and twenty 




47 



48 MAKERS OF OUR" HISTORY 

dollars from his own pocket. Yet the day came 
when he could respond to no more such appeals ; 
his private funds were exhausted. 

By foreign loans, by borrowing and returning, 
by threats and pleas and even by tears, he man- 
aged to raise the necessary money to carry on the 
war to the end. Then came the demand for three 
months' pay for Washington's men. For this purpose 
there were issued notes for more than $11,000,000, 
which bore the water mark "U.S. National Debt." 
These were payable six months after date. 

It was November i, 1784, before the financier 
was relieved of his burden. Later he was a mem- 
ber of the Constitutional Convention and a United 
States senator. Not until 1795 did he retire from 
public life. 

Unfortunately, the man who made such a bril- 
liant success of financing the war could not take 
care of his own fortune. During the later years 
of his life he invested his entire assets in land's 
in different parts of the Union. He was one of 
the chief investors in Washington w^ien the city 
was yet on paper. He thought that the country 
would go forward by leaps and bounds, but he was 
too hopeful. 

He began, but was unable to complete, an am- 
bitious residence, " the grandest ever attempted in 



ROBERT MORRIS 49 

Philadelphia for the purpose of private life." One 
wondering writer, in telling of the building, said: 

Immense funds were expended ere it reached the surface 
of the ground. It was generally two and sometimes three 
stories under ground, and the arches, vaults and labyrinth 




THE HOUSE ROBERT MORRIS WAS UNAliLE TO COMPLETE 
From Birch's "Views of Philadelphia," 1800 



were numerous. It was finally got up to -its intended ele- 
vation of two stories, and temporarily roofed in, present- 
ing four sides of entire marble surface, and much of the 
ornaments worked in expensive relief. ... Mr. Morris . . . 
had provided, by importation and otherwise, the most costly 
furniture ; all of which, in time, together with the marble 
mansion itself, had to be abandoned to his creditors. 



50 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

A dishonest partner added to the burdens of the 
financier. Suits, executions, attachments, and im- 
prisonment for debt followed. 

After more than three years and a half in prison, 
he was released on the passage of a new law by 
Congress which allowed a debtor who should be 
declared a bankrupt to be set free on petition of 
his creditors. 

Five years later came the end of the life story 
that has been called one of the saddest chapters 
in our history. 

References for Further Reading 

Oberholtzer, Ellen Paxsox. Robert Morris, Patriot and Financier. 

The Macmillan Company, New York. 
Sumner, W. G. Robert Morris. Dodd, Mead & Company, New York. 






It is too crowded here ; I want more elbowroom. 

Daniel Boone 



:frwyy^Y>-/^YyAY)^/^Y)r^-YYnYrn^ 



CHAPTER IV 

DANIEL BOONE, BACKWOODSMAN 

(Born near Reading, Pennsylvania, November 2, i 734 ; died in Femme 
Osage, Missouri, September 26, 1820) 

Squire Boone, the father of Daniel Boone, came 
to Philadelphia from England early in the eight- 
eenth century. After a few years of farm labor 
he saved enough to buy a farm near Reading, 
Pennsylvania. There his son Daniel was born. 

As soon as Daniel was able to walk in the 
woods and the fields he was attracted by the squir- 
rels and the chipmunks. He was twelve years old 
when his first rifle was given to him, and he was 
soon able to supply all the game needed for the 
household. 

He had no opportunity to go to school, but his 
mother and the wife of an older brother taught 
him to read and write and to do enough figuring 
to make simple surveyors' calculations. 

51 



52 



MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 



In addition to his wort as a farmer, Squire 
Boone was a weaver and a blacksmith. Daniel 
was taught to handle the loom when the tough 
homespun cloth was made, as well as to assist 
in fashioning iron at his father's forge. 

Every winter he 
wandered through 
the forests for many 
miles around his 
home, hunting and 
trapping, studying 
the friendly Indi- 
ans, and dreaming 
of the day when he 
should be able to 
obey the impulse 
to push his way 
into the wilderness, 
far in advance of 
the settlers. 

His first oppor- 
tunity to visit a new country came when he was 
sixteen years old. Then his father sold his Penn- 
sylvania farm and moved to the Yadkin Valley in 
North Carolina. The journey was made in a leis- 
urely manner; more than a year was occupied in 
traveling the distance of five hundred miles. 



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DANIEL BOONE READY FOR THE TRAIL 



DANIEL BOONE 53 

A home had been made in the new country, 
and Daniel had become famiHar with the wilder- 
ness about him, when word came of the defeat 
of George Washington by the French and Indians 
who had come down from Canada with the in- 
tention of taking possession of the Ohio Valley. 
North Carolina had an interest in preserving this 
back country for American settlers, so volunteers 
were soon sent to join Braddock's company, which 
was bound for the West to oppose the French. 
Daniel Boone, not yet twenty-one years old, was 
one of the company. The journey to Fort Cum- 
berland was comparatively easy, but from there 
their way across the mountains, through forests 
and over rocky ridges, had to be blazed by a 
large corps of woodsmen. The path thus made 
was called Braddock's Road. This was just the 
sort of pioneer work Daniel Boone longed for; 
and he was disappointed by the command to act 
as mechanic with the wagon train. 

One of his companions during the march was 
John Finley, a hunter who had traveled through 
Ohio and into a wild region to the south. His 
tales of Kentucky fired Boone's imagination, and 
the two men planned to go there just as soon 
as the trip to Fort Duquesne was at an end. 
Finley explained how easy it would be to travel 



54 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

from North Carolina to Kentucky along an Indian 
trail that led to Cumberland Gap, and then into 
the desired land. 

But the campaign ended suddenly when the 
P>ench and Indians surprised and defeated the vol- 
unteers. Boone found his way back to his North 
Carolina home, where he married and went to 
housekeeping in a log cabin which he built on 
his father's farm. 

A few years later came the raid of the Indians 
in the Yadkin Valley. Boone fled with his family 
to Virginia, where he made his living as a team- 
ster, carrying loads of produce to the coast. 

His hunger for adventure led him to go against 
the Indians when there was a further call for 
volunteers. He fought bravely until the Cherokee 
Treaty put an end to the Indian w^arfare. Then 
he took his family back to the Yadkin Valley, 
and plunged into the wilderness to make a living 
for them. 

In 1760 he found his way into western Ten- 
nessee. Here, on the banks of what is to-day 
known as Boone's Creek, there stood, until a few 
years ago, a beech tree on whose bark was this 
inscription, evidently cut by the hunting knife of 
the pioneer, " D. Boon cilled a bar on this tree 
in the year 1760." 




DANIEL BOONE AND HIS DOG 



55 



56 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

In 1764, when he was looking down from a 
Cumberland Mountain peak at a herd of buffaloes, 
he is said to have exclaimed, " I am richer than 
the man mentioned in Scripture, who owned the 
cattle on a thousand hills ; I own the wild beasts 
of more than a thousand valleys." 

Boone's longing to go still further from home 
led him to listen to the appeal of his old friend, 
John Finley, who appeared in the Yadkin Valley 
in 1769. The two men persuaded a company of 
four other frontiersmen to explore the new coun- 
try under their leadership. 

The journey to Kentucky was made in safety. 
Then one day the entire party were taken captive 
by Indians and their camp was plundered of a 
large store of furs, provisions, and ammunition. 
All their horses were taken. Before they were 
released, they were warned to keep away from 
the Indians' land, on pain of death. 

Boone and his brother-in-law stole back into 
the Indians' camp and secured four horses, but 
they were pursued and captured. Seven days 
later the two men managed to escape while their 
captors were asleep. A little later they overtook 
their companions, who had turned homeward. 

In the meantime Squire Boone, Daniel's brother, 
had come from Virginia, according to previous 



DANIEL BOONE 57 

arrangement, with fresh horses, provisions, and 
ammunition. Daniel at once proposed to take this 
new equipment and return to Kentucky. Several 
of the company volunteered to go with him, but 
others decided to go back across the mountains. 
Daniel and his companions continued their 
exploration and their hunting until one of the 



i 


ft 



DANIEL BOONE'S FIRST GLIMPSE OF KENTUCKY 

four was killed by Indians, and another had left 
for North Carolina. When provisions were low, 
Squire Boone took the furs they had gathered 
and returned home, while Daniel pushed on as 
far as the Falls of the Ohio, at the present site 
of Louisville. He hoped to find a place to which 
he could bring his family. 

But the site of the Kentucky home was not 
selected until after he had gone back to the 



58 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

Yadkin Valley and had made two further trips to 
Kentucky. On the second visit he found the spot 
he desired, and when he returned he was so en- 
thusiastic in his description of the beauty of the 
place he had chosen that many of his neighbors and 
their friends from other parts of the state asked to 
accompany him when, on September 25, 1773, he 
left the Yadkin Valley with his family. Many 
additions were made to the party as it passed on 
to the mountains. 

Indians surprised and killed a number of the 
company, including Daniel's seventeen-year-old son. 
This disaster led the immigrants to pause for a 
season on the w^ay. Daniel chafed at this inac- 
tion, and he welcomed the call made by the gov- 
ernor of Virginia for two good woodsmen who 
would dash into Kentucky by the Cumberland 
Gap route, to warn several surveying parties to 
be on their guard against Indians who were ris- 
ing to prevent the passage of settlers to the West. 
In company with Michael Stoner he reached the 
heart of Kentucky in July, 1774. Two months 
later they returned, having done their work. 

Boone's next great opportunity came when the 
Transylvania Company was organized by Richard 
Henderson and others, to buy from the Cherokees 
their claim to Kentuckv and the land needed for 



DANIEL BOONE 



59 



access to Kentucky. In spite of the opposition 
of the governors of Virginia and North CaroHna, 
who declared that Henderson had no right to 
bargain with the Indians for these lands, they 
were bought for a ridiculously small sum, and 
Daniel Boone was 
selected to make 
a road to them 
through the wil- 
derness. 

His selection 
was natural, for, 
according to the 
naturalist Audu- 
bon, who saw 
him in his wil- 
derness life, he 
made a command- 
ing figure : 

The stature and 
general appearance 

of this wanderer of Western forests approached the gigan- 
tic. His chest was broad and prominent ; his muscular 
powers displayed themselves in every Hmb ; his counte- 
nance gave indication of his great courage, enterprise, and 
perseverance, and when he spoke, the very motion of his 
lips brought the impression that whatever he uttered could 
not be otherwise than strictly true. 




ON liOONE'S WILDERNESS ROAD 



6o MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

From the Wautauga settlements in Tennessee, 
for a distance of two hundred miles, the back- 
woodsman and his thirty hardy companions forced 
their way, cutting trees, burning the undergrowth, 
and fighting the Indians. At length they reached 
their goal, on the Kentucky River, and began the 
erection of a group of cabins for the accommoda- 
tion of the settlers who were to come later under 
Henderson's leadership. This settlement was called 
Boonesborough. 

Before long, representatives from three other 
settlements in the Transylvania territory gathered 
at Boonesborough and formed a House of Dele- 
gates for the government of the new colony. 
Laws were made, and the fortunes of the Tran- 
sylvania Company looked bright. It was even 
thought that Transylvania might be admitted as 
the fourteenth colony in the Revolutionary Union. 
But the opposition of Virginia and North Carolina, 
which claimed the land sold by the Cherokees, 
the reluctance of Congress to sanction the enter- 
prise, and dissensions among the immigrants, who 
found fault with what they called the avarice of 
Henderson and his associates, wrecked the Com- 
pany. Virginia and North Carolina, however, gave 
to the Proprietors two hundred thousand acres 
of land as a recognition of the valuable work 



DANIEL BOONE 6l 

they had done in building the Wilderness Road 
and opening the Kentucky settlements. 

The importance of the new road was greater 
even than was thought at the time. By this route 
tens of thousands of settlers found their way to the 
West. Daniel Boone had shown them the way. 

During the Revolutionary War Boone was a 
leader in the fight to save the Kentucky settlers 
from the Indians, who were encouraged in their 
attacks by the British, the holders of the forts at 
St. Louis, Kaskaskia, Vincennes, and Detroit. In 
1777 the Indians attacked the fort at Boones- 
borough several times, but were repulsed. 

In February, 1778, the defenders of the fort were 
deprived of their leader for a season. With thirty 
settlers Boone had gone to the lower Blue Lick to 
gather a supply of salt sufficient to last during a 
possible siege. The party was about to return to 
the fort when a war band of Shawnees appeared 
suddenly, pursued Boone, and finally captured him 
after a desperate chase. 

His captors took him to their camp, where he 
found a large party of warriors. The demand was 
made that he lead them to his companions. Natu- 
rally he did not wish to do this, but when he learned 
that the party was on the way to attack Boones- 
borough, he decided to comply with the demand. 



62 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

He understood savage natures well enough to fore- 
see that if they had thirty captives, they would post- 
pone their attack on the settlement until they could 
take their men in triumph to Detroit and secure 
the liberal reward offered by the British. Later he 
was tried by court-martial for this betrayal of his com- 
panions, but the court approved his defense that it 
was better that thirty men should go into captivity 
than that a settlement should be destroyed. 

The journey to Detroit in the depths of winter 
proved difficult and dangerous. Intense cold and 
heavy snows interfered with game supplies. Finally 
some of the horses and dogs were killed for food. 
Later many of the hidians were eager to kill the 
prisoners. Fifty-nine Shawnees voted to burn the 
captives at the stake, but fortunately sixty-one 
voted to save them for the reward. 

During the journey the hidians became so fond 
of Boone that they told him they wished to adopt 
him into the tribe. In vain Governor Hamilton, 
the British commander at Detroit, who wished to 
use Boone as a scout, offered one hundred pounds 
for his release. The prisoner was taken to the 
Shawnee village at Chillicothe, in Ohio, and there 
adopted by Chief Black Fish. 

He pretended to like the life at the Indian camp, 
but he was only waiting for a chance to escape. 



DANIEL BOONE 



63 



The Shawnees, fearing that he might leave them, 
were determined that he should not secure a supply 
of powder and bullets ; they knew that he would not 
dare to enter the trackless forest unarmed. Careful 
account was kept of the ammunition furnished him 
when he went on hunting expeditions, and he was 
compelled to re- 
turn all for which 
he could not give 
account. His cun- 
ning was greater 
than theirs, for he 
managed to cut bul- 
lets in half and use 
small charges of 
powder when after 
small game. In 
this manner he laid 
by a small store of 
lead and powder. 

When he had been a prisoner for four months, 
his curiosity was aroused by the coming into camp 
of hundreds of savages in war paint. By this time 
he understood more of the Shawnee language than 
he was willing to own, so he had little difficulty in 
learning the purpose of the war party. They were 
planning an immediate attack on Boonesborough. 




MONUMENT TO THE ROAD BUILDER, DANIEL 
BOONE, ON THE WILDERNESS ROAD 



64 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

He did not hesitate an instant in making his de- 
cision. His people must be warned at once, and no 
one could take the warning but himself. .He knew 
that recapture was almost certain, yet he was willing 
to run the risk. 

The story of the journey of one hundred and 
sixty miles to Boonesborough is one of the most 
thrilling tales of pioneer days. Early on the morn- 
ing of June i6, 1778, he asked leave to spend a day 
in hunting. As soon as he was out of sight of camp, 
he turned toward Kentucky. All his woodcraft was 
called into play to deceive those whom he knew 
would soon be on his track. He did not dare to 
shoot game, lest he betray his whereabouts. 

At last he reached the Ohio. Unfortunately 
the river was in flood, and he was not a good 
swimmer. Discovering an old canoe, he crossed 
the stream. But he was not yet out of danger. 
For five days longer his hardships continued. 
Finally, footsore and weary, half starved and eager 
for a good night's sleep, he reached his friends at 
Boonesborough. 

Two months later he led in the defense of the 
fort against four hundred and fifty Indians. Thus he 
cooperated in the saving of Kentucky with George 
Rogers Clark, who led the successful expedition 
against Kaskaskia and Vincennes. 



DANIEL BOONE 65 

After the war he moved on further into the wilder- 
ness. Later he went to Maysville, where he opened 
a tavern and a store. Still later, when he moved to 
Point Pleasant, in western Virginia, he was elected 
to the Virginia Assembly for the third time, hav- 
ing previously been a member from Boonesborough 
and from Maysville. 

In 1796, when the Kentucky legislature pro- 
posed to improve the Wilderness Road for wagon 
travel, Boone wrote to Governor Shelby : 

Sir, after my best Respts to your Excelancy and famyly 
I wish to inform you that I have some ambition of under- 
taking this New Rode that is to be cut through the Wilder- 
ness and I think my Self intitled to the ofer of the Bisness 
as I first Marked out that Rode in March 1775 and Never 
rec'd anything for my trubel and Sepose I am no Statesman 
I am a Woodsman and think My Self as Capable of mark- 
ing and Cutting the Rode as any other man. Sir if you 
think with Me I would thank you to wright me a Line by 
the post the first oportuneaty. ... I am Dear Sir your 
very omble sarvent Daniel Boone. 

But the contract went to others, to Boone's great 
disappointment. 

In 1798 Boone, then a resident of Point Pleasant, 
said: " It is too crowded here; I want more elbow- 
room." Taking his family he went by flatboat to 
Missouri. A farm of eight hundred acres, forty-five 



66 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

miles from St. Louis, was given to him by the 
Spanish authorities. Near this, but, unfortunately, 
not on it, he made his home, and rejoiced to serve 
as a magistrate. When the United States succeeded 
the Spaniards in possession of Missouri, he lost his 
farm, because he had not lived on it. Thus, at 




DANIEL BOONE'S MLSbOLRl CABIN 



seventy-eight, the pioneer was deprived of the last 
foot of land in the western country which he did 
so much to win. In 1813, by act of Congress, his 
farm was returned to him, after the presentation of 
a petition in his behalf in which he spoke of the 
history of the settlement of the western country as 
his history, and made an appeal that must have 



DANIEL BOONE 67 

been shaped for him by some friend better educated 
than himself: 

Your memorialist cannot but feel, so long as feeling re- 
mains, that he has a just claim upon his country for land to 
live on, and to transmit to his children after him. He cannot 
help on an occasion like this but to look toward Kentucky. 
From a small acorn she has become a mighty oak, furnish- 
ing shelter to upwards of four hundred thousand souls. Very 
different is her appearance now from the time when your 
memorialist, with his little band, began to fell the forest 
and construct the rude fortification at Boonesborough. 

Boone died in 1820, and was buried by the side 
of his wife, in Femme Osage, Missouri. In 1845 the 
two bodies were removed to Frankfort, Kentucky. 

References for Further Reading 

Bruci:, B. H. Addington. Daniel Boone and the Wilderness Road. 

The Macmillan Company, New York. 
Thwaites, REUiiEN GoLD. Daniel Boone. D. Appleton and Company, 

New York. 






And for the support of this declaration, we mutually 

pledge to each other our lives, our fortunes, and our 

sacred honor. 

Thomas Jefferson 



:f/>irA-Yy/\Yyn-VY/^>^nYrn^ 



CHAPTER V 

THOMAS JEFFERSON, STATESMAN 

(Born in Albemarle County, Virginia, April 2, 1 743 ; died at Monti- 
cello, Virginia, July 4, 1826) 

Before Peter Jefferson died, in 1757, he asked 
that his eldest son, Thomas, should receive a 
thorough education. In his own early 3^ears he 
had been given only a very ordinary education, 
and he wanted his children to be more fortunate. 

At this time the son was fourteen years old, 
and the father had guided the early years of his 
training, seeing to it that the boy not only got 
instruction from his schoolmaster but learned how 
to swim, to row, to ride horseback and to hunt. 

In accordance with his father's wish, Jefferson 
was sent to William and Mary College at Williams- 
burg, the colonial capital of Virginia. During his 
first year he paid too much attention to social life, 
but in his second year he became a diligent student, 

68 




THOMAS JEFFERSON 

From the original picture by Gilbert Stuart in the Walker Art Building,. 
Bowdoin College 



69 



70 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

and made it a rule to study fifteen hours a day. 
When he graduated, at nineteen, he could read 
Latin, Greek, and French, and was skilled in 
mathematics and literature. 

A passion for thoroughness led him to spend 
five years in the study of the law in a day when 
many w^ould-be lawyers were content with a few 
months or a year for preparation. 

During his first two years' experience as a lawyer, 
he won so many friends that he was able to secure 
election to the Virginia House of Burgesses. The 
address at the opening of the session, made by 
the English governor, was not pleasing to the 
patriotic members, and they asked Jefferson to 
draw up resolutions replying to it. In the reso- 
lutions which he prepared it was declared that 
taxation without representation is illegal, and that 
accused persons should not be sent out of the 
country for trial. 

When the angry governor dissolved the House, 
the members met in the Raleigh Tavern and 
agreed to ask the people to buy no more goods 
which bore the iniquitous taxes of Great Britain. 
Among those who signed the agreement were 
Washington and Patrick Henry, as well as Jef- 
ferson. Some men refused to sign, but these were 
not reelected to the House. 



THOMAS JEFFERSON 



71 



After this first experience in the House of Bur- 
gesses, Jefferson devoted himself to the practice 
of his profession. He was successful in office 
practice, but he did not make his mark as a 
pleader in court. He was six feet two and a half 
inches tall, but his voice was not strong, and the 





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OLD COURTHOUSE, WILLIAMSBURG, VIRGINIA 

impression created on his hearers was not good. 
Perhaps he was thinking of his own oratorical 
gifts when, after hearing Patrick Henry make one 
of his great speeches, he wrote, "He appeared to 
me to speak as Homer wrote." 

On Shadwell, the estate which was his legacy 
from his father, Jefferson dreamed of building a 



72 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

home on a beautiful hilltop, to be called Monticello. 
In 1770 Shadwell House was burned, his favorite 
violin being one of the few possessions saved. 
Then the completion of Monticello was hurried, 
under his own supervision. He was proud of the 
fact that most of the material used, even to the 
nails, was made by the labor of his slaves under 
his own guidance. 

Jefferson's second appearance in the House of 
Burgesses came in 1773, when the colonies had 
been inflamed by many acts of oppression on the 
part of Great Britain. There was demand on the 
part of some that steps be taken at this session 
to show the mother country that the colonies were 
not to be trifled with, but they were unable to 
persuade more timid members of the House to 
join with them. Accordingly some of the young 
men met privately to talk over measures and make 
plans. At one of these meetings the famous Com- 
mittee of Correspondence, which organized the 
Revolution, was proposed. To Jefferson was given 
the task of writing out the plan. When the reso- 
lution was adopted, on March 12, 1773, Governor 
Dunmore dissolved the House. 

Again in 1774 the House was dissolved, because 
action had been taken which made a declaration of 
war almost unnecessary, so far as Virginia was 



THOMAS JEFFERSON 73 

concerned. Soon afterwards Jefferson was ap- 
pointed on a committee of thirteen to prepare 
Virginia for war. 

When he took his seat in Congress, on June 21, 
1775, he found that his reputation had preceded 
him, and that the patriots were ready to give him 
a respectful hearing. He was placed on a number 
of committees, and his ideas had a large part in 
shaping important action. 

Soon after his return to Virginia, he found abun- 
dant opportunity for patriotic service. The British 
governor having fled, a Committee of Safety was 
named to rule the state. The Virginia convention 
met in May, 1776. Jefferson had prepared the 
way so well that a resolution was adopted on 
May 15, 1776, asking the Virginia delegates to 
urge Congress " to declare the United Colonies 
free and independent states." Then, by the adop- 
tion of a Declaration of Rights and a Constitution, 
Virginia announced her independence. This was 
on June 29, 1776. 

The resolution of May 15 was presented in 
Congress on June 7, 1776. The vote was delayed, 
but Jefferson was named at the head of a com- 
mittee to draw up the Declaration of Independence. 
At the first meeting of the committee, he was 
asked to prepare the paper. He wanted John 



74 



MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 



Adams to help him, but Adams argued that the 
work should be done by Jefferson alone, for many 
reasons, the chief reason being, in the words of 
Adams, " I had a great opinion of the elegance 
of his pen, and none at all of my own." 

As we all know, 
it was on July 4 
that the Declara- 
tion was adopted. 
It was adopted 
almost exactly as 
Jefferson had writ- 
ten it. 

Though he was 
reelected to Con- 
gress, Jefferson 
preferred to accept 
election to the Vir- 
ginia House of 
Delegates, that he 
might have a part in revising the laws of Virginia 
in accordance with his democratic ideals. The 
English system of the descent of landed estates to 
the eldest son and the support of the Episcopal 
Church by the state were displeasing to him, and 
he succeeded in having changes made in both of 
these matters. He even proposed a system of 




DRAFTING THE DECLARATION OF INDE- 
PENDENCE 



THOMAS JEFFERSON 



75 



state education, and his plan was indorsed by the 
delegates. But the people were not ready for the 
plan, and it was not carried out for many years. 
The founding of the University of Virginia was the 
statesman's last public work. 

By his advocacy of these and other reforms, 
Jefferson made lifelong enemies. The proprietors 




THE UNITED STATES CAPITOL IN 1814 

of large estates, the clergy of the Established 
Church, and owners of property in Williamsburg, 
from which he planned to remove the capital 
to Richmond, could not say enough hard things 
about the man who had interfered with them. 

Some of his most difficult work was done dur- 
ing his second term as governor of Virginia, which 
began in 1780. In response to the appeal of 



76 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

Washington, he scoured the state for suppUes of 
all kinds for the starving army. He stripped 
his own farm of everything that could be of 
use. He begged and demanded goods and pro- 
visions from the people, and when they were 
slow in responding, he compelled them to make 
contribution. 

But this was as nothing to the problems he had 
to solve when Arnold led a British expedition up 
the James, landed at Westover, and marched on 
Richmond. The governor, after seeing to the re- 
moval of official papers and supplies from Rich- 
mond, looked on in helpless wrath as he saw 
the British plunder the city. 

He did his best on this occasion, as he did a 
few months later when the invasion of Cornwallis 
caused further trouble. But there was a great 
clamor against him because he had not clone all 
that some thought he might have done. At the 
close of his term as governor, he asked for election 
to the state legislature that he might answer his 
accusers. After a unanimous election, he replied 
to the charges. The legislature not only acquitted 
him of all blame, but thanked him for his "impar- 
tial, upright and attentive administration." There- 
upon he retired to Monticello, saying that he 
would never again hold office. 



THOMAS JEFFERSON ^^ 

Yet two years later he agreed to represent 
Virginia in Congress, and he did this with his 
old whole-hearted spirit. He proposed the dollar 
as the unit of value in the new currency ; for 
this reason he has been called the father of the 
American dollar. Later he presented the deed 
by which Virginia gave up all claim to the North- 
west Territory, won by George Rogers Clark and 
his brave company, and he made the plan for the 
temporary administration of the frontier country. 
He also made the proposition that after the year 
1800 slavery should be abolished in the new terri- 
tories. If this provision had carried, the country 
might have been saved from civil war; but it was 
defeated by a single vote, one of the members 
who had promised his support being absent. 

Five years as representative of the United 
States at Paris preceded his term as Washing- 
ton's Secretary of State, but in 1794 he retired 
to his Virginia estates, which had suffered during 
his absence. Here he began to enjoy life once 
more. He entertained freely and spent money 
lavishly, unconscious of the fact that he was living 
far beyond his means. 

At the close of Washington's second term as 
President, Jefferson missed the choice as his suc- 
cessor by two electoral votes ; accordingly he 



78 



MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 



became the vice president with John Adams. 
Perhaps his greatest service during this time was 
his opposition to the proposition that North 
CaroHna and Virginia should leave the Union, 
because they did not like the acts of the govern- 
ment ; he declared 
that their depart- 
ure would mean 
the breaking up 
of the United 
States "into their 
simple units." His 
argument was suc- 
cessful ; the states 
did not leave the 
Union. 

In the election 
of 1800 he re- 
ceived eight more 
votes than Adams, 
though Aaron Burr received as many as Jefferson. 
When the election w^as thrown into the House of Rep- 
resentatives, Jefferson was made President. Four 
years later his reelection was almost unanimous. 

The great acts of his eight years as President 
were the successful contest with the Barbary 
States, whose pirates had destroyed many American 




THOMA.S JEFFERSON'S RESIDENCE IN PHILA- 
DELPHIA 

At the time the Declaration of Independence 
was written 



THOMAS JEFFERSON 79 

ships, the purchase of the Louisiana Territory from 
France, and the exploring trip of Lewis and 
Clark to the Pacific coast, which, forty years 
later, became a factor in winning Oregon for the 
United States. He had failed in many of the 
things he had hoped to do, but his successes 
were greater than his failures. 

References for Further Reading 

Curtis, William Eleroy. The True Thomas Jefferson. J. B. Lip- 
pincott Co., Philadelphia. 

Watson, Thomas E. Thomas Jefferson. Small, Maynard & Com- 
pany, Boston. 

Autobiography of Thomas Jefferson, with Introduction by Paul Leicester 
Ford. G. P. Putnam's Sons, New York. 



I 

3 A country which is not worth defending is not 

^ worth claiming. 

^ George Rogers Clark 



fc^/nvrrvWAVi^nwnYYr^vVAV/nvynwnvr^^^ 



CHAPTER VI 

GEORGE ROGERS CLARK, WINNER OF THE WEST 

(Born in Albemarle County, Virginia, November 19, 1752; died near 
Louisville, Kentucky, February 13, 181 8) 

When George Rogers Clark was a boy in 
Virginia, he lived only a mile and a half from 
Thomas Jefferson, who was nine years older than 
he, and he went to school with James Madison. 

Like so many of the sons of the pioneers, it 
was not possible for young Clark to remain long at 
school. He was able to secure only the rudiments 
of an English education, but he gave much atten- 
tion to mathematics and surveying. These subjects 
were thought to be all-important in that day, when 
so much land was to be taken up and recorded. 

The tales of those who were planning to go to 
the Ohio Valley, or who had returned after a 
journey to the West, proved of such interest to 
Clark that when he was twenty years old he 

So 



GEORGE ROGERS CLARK 



8l 



crossed the moun- 
tains and made 
his way to the 
Ohio Valley , where 
he remained for a 
few months. One 
of his compan- 
ions, David Jones, 
kept a journal of 
the trip. Of this 
journal the follow- 
ing are extracts : 

I left Fort Pitt 
on Tuesday, June 9, 
1772, in company 
with George Rogers 
Clark, a young gen- 
tleman from Vir- 
ginia, who with 
several others in- 
clined to make a 
tour in this new 
world. We traveled 
by water in a 
canoe. . . . 

. . . Instead of 
feathers my bed was 
gravel stones, by 
the river side. From 
Fort Pitt to this 




GEORGE ROGERS CLARK 
From the portrait by Otto Stark 



82 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

place [Grave Creek] we were only in one place where white 
people live. Our lodging was on the banks of the river, 
which at first seemed not to suit me, but afterwards it 
became more natural. . . . 

. . . We arrived at the Kanawha. . . . We went up 
this stream about ten miles, and out on every side to 
view the land and to obtain provision. My interpreter 
killed several deer, and a stately buffalo bull. . . . 

On a later trip Mr. Clark made a location of 
land near Wheeling, on which he built a cabin. 
For some time he spent his days surveying, 
hunting, fishing, and caring for his land. 

On January 9, 1773, he wrote to his brother 
Jonathan : 

I embrace y^ opportunity by Mr. Jarrot to let you 
know that I am in good health, hoping that this will 
find you in the same. ... I am settled on my land 
with good plenty of provisions, and drive on pretty well 
as to clearing, hoping, by the spring, to get a full crop. 
I know nothing more worth acquainting you with, but 
that this country settles very fast, and corn is in some 
parts 7s. 6d. per bushel, but I have a great plenty. 
The people are settling as low as y^ Sioto river, 366 
below Fort Pitt. Land has raised almost as dear here 
as below. I had an offer of a very considerable sum for 
my place. I get a good deal of cash by surveying on 
this river. . . . 

Becoming interested in Kentucky, through the 
reports of returning travelers, Mr. Clark pushed 



GEORGE ROGERS CLARK S;^ 

on down the Ohio River and into the interior. 
At first his time in the new location was spent 
in surveying. Of this work he told his brother: 

I have engaged as a deputy surveyor, under Cap'n 
Hancock Lee, for to lay out lands on y^ Kentuck for 
y^ Ohio company, at y^ rate of ^80 pr year, and y^ 
privilege of taking what land I want. 

He had not been in Kentucky very long when 
he felt that something should be done about the 
Transylvania Company, which claimed a large part 
of this territory by reason of a purchase from the 
Cherokee Indians. Had they a real right to the 
country, or did Virginia intend to exercise control 
over the region? On June 6, 1776, he called a 
meeting of citizens at Harrodsburg, to consider 
w^hat should be done, and was appointed one of 
the delegates to the Virginia legislature to pre- 
sent the matter. The journey to Williamsburg 
was difficult. The season was unusually wet, 
roads were muddy, and there was constant danger 
from Indians. After a time one of the horses 
was lost, and Clark walked until his feet became 
blistered and sore. Years later he said that he 
suffered more torment on this trip than he had 
ever suffered before or afterwards. 

Finally the two men reached Williamsburg, re- 
joicing that they would soon have an opportunity 



84 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

to perform their errand. But, to their dismay, they 
learned that the legislature had adjourned. 

Clark sought an interview with the governor, 
Patrick Henry, and asked for a grant of five 
hundred pounds of powder, for the use of the 
settlers in Kentucky in defending themselves 
against the Indians. When there was delay in 
furnishing the powder, he urged that " a country 
which is not worth defending is not worth claim- 
ing." These words proved effective, for Virginia 
intended to push its claim to Kentucky, against 
the Transylvania Company and all other claimants. 

At the next session of the legislature Clark 
and his associate brought about the organization 
of Kentucky as a county of Virginia. 

The powder was taken to Kentucky, though 
not without great difficulty. Indians attacked 
those in charge of it, among these being Clark's 
associate delegate, John G. Jones. A large party 
was sent after the powder from Harrodsburg, and 
it was finally received in good condition. 

Clark's next step showed that he was a states- 
man as well as a warrior. He saw how important 
Kentucky was to the Union. He realized that 
the Indians in Kentucky were encouraged to 
make attacks on the settlers by the British at 
Detroit, Vincennes, Kaskaskia, and Cahokia. He 




GEORGE ROGERS CLARK CONFERRING WITH THE INDIANS 
From a painting in the Illinois State Capitol at Springfield 



85 



86 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

thought that the best way to defend Kentucky 
and preserve it for the Union was to conduct a 
campaign against the four forts named. 

Without telHng anyone of his object, he sent 
spies to the British forts. On their return these 
men reported that the officers had no thought of 
being attacked, but that their forces were well 
prepared for anything that might come. 

In December, 1777, he laid his plans before 
Patrick Henry, governor of Virginia, and asked 
for approval, money, and men for the campaign. 
Patrick Henry listened to him with absorbed 
interest, and heartily approved his plans. 

On January 3, 1778, Lieutenant Colonel Clark 
was given a commission which began : 

As some Indian tribes to the westward of the Mississippi 
have lately without any provocation massacred many of the 
Inhabitants of the Frontier of the Commonwealth in the 
most cruel and barbarous manner, it is intended to revenge 
the Injury & punish the Aggressors by carrying the War 
into their own Country. We congratulate you upon your 
appointment to conduct so important an Enterprize. 

This letter, signed by C. Wythe, George Mason, 
and Thomas Jefferson, promised to each of those 
who should serve as volunteers under Colonel 
Clark three hundred acres of land, '' out of the 



GEORGE ROGERS CLARK Sy 

lands which may be conquered in the Country 
now in the Possession of the said Indians." 

Colonel Clark hoped to secure four hundred men, 
but he was forced to be content with one hun- 
dred and fifty followers. The difficulty of enlisting 
soldiers was due to the fact that his open letter of 
introduction from Patrick Henry spoke of his expe- 
dition as intended only for the defense of Kentucky ; 
it was thought best to tell of the real object in 
secret instructions only, lest warning be carried to 
the forts against which Colonel Clark was to go. 

The purpose of the expedition was announced to 
the men who then were encamped on Corn Island, 
in the Ohio River, near the site of what is now 
Louisville. Most of the soldiers were delighted with 
the idea, but a few deserted ; they did not wish 
to be " taken near a thousand miles from the body 
of the country to attack a people five times their 
number, and merciless tribes of Indians, their allies, 
and determined enemies to us," Colonel Clark wrote. 

There were about one hundred and seventy-five 
men in the party when the start was made for Kas- 
kaskia; evidently a few had enlisted at Corn Island. 

There were those who found fault with the 
leader for daring to attempt the difficult feat he 
had in mind, without a larger force, but he knew 
he must not hesitate. He felt that the future of 



SS MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

the vast territory northwest of the Ohio River 
depended on him and his men. So he went on. 
" I knew my case was desperate," he wrote in his 
journal, "but the more I reflected on my weakness, 
the more I was pleased with the enterprise." 

It was on June 24, 1778, that the march to 
Kaskaskia was undertaken. After floating some 
distance down the Ohio, the party landed, and 
concealed their boats. Then the journey of one 
hundred and twenty miles through a swampy 
and difflcult country was begun. The guide who 
promised to lead them became bewildered, and 
the road was found only after •long search. There 
were no wagons, and not even a pack horse ; the 
men had to carry all their baggage, their guns, 
and their ammunition. 

On the evening of July 4 the expedition came 
to the Kaskaskia River, three miles from the fort. 
After dark, boats were found at a farm where 
the members of the family were made prisoners. 
What followed was told by the commander in a 
letter to Virginia: 

I immediately divided my little army into two armies ; 
ordered one to surround the town, with the other I broke 
into the fort, secured the governor, Mr. Rochblave, in fif- 
teen minutes had every street secured, sent runners through 
the town, ordering the people on pain of death to keep close 



GEORGE ROGERS CLARK 89 

to their houses, which they observed, and before dayUght 
had the whole town disarmed. 

The officers and residents of Kaskaskia were 
filled with terror, for they had been told that the 
Virginia rebels were more savage than the In- 
dians. Clark says that Mrs. Rochblave " must 
have feared the loss of even her clothes, from 
the idea she entertained of us." In his memoirs 
the leader of the expedition said he was glad 
they had been given this idea, for he would have 
the pleasure of surprising them by his lack of 
severity. Thus he would be able to make of 
them valuable friends. His judgment proved to 
be correct, for when he told them that their 
property would not be taken from them, and 
that the citizens would be permitted to remain 
in possession of their homes, "the scene was 
changed from an almost mortal dejection, to that 
of joy in the extreme — the bells ringing, the 
church crowded, return thanks, in short, every 
appearance of extravagant joy that could fill a 
place with almost confusion." 

Prisoners taken among the soldiers were sent to 
Virginia. When the Virginia legislature learned of 
the success of the expedition, they passed a vote of 
thanks to Colonel Clark and his men, and proceeded 
to organize Illinois as a county of Virginia. 



90 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

In a letter to Governor Henry, Clark told of 
his intention to move against Vincennes. He 
owned that the attack would be desperate, but 
that it was necessary, for if he waited he would 
be attacked by the British. Then he said : 

No time is to be lost. Was I sure of a reenforcement 
I should not attempt it. Who knows what fortune will do 



^^^'M, ~^. 
a%^ "^^ 








FORT SACKVILLE, VINCENNES, INDIANA 

for us ? Great things have been effected by a few men well 
conducted. Perhaps we may be fortunate. We have the 
consolation that our cause is just, and that our country will 
be grateful and not condemn our conduct, in case we fall 
through ; if so, this country, as well as Kentucky, I believe, 
is lost. 

The story of the campaign against Fort Sack- 
ville at Vincennes is one of the most absorbing 



GEORGE ROGERS CLARK 9 1 

stories in the records of pioneer life. Colonel 
Clark divided his forces, sending some of his men, 
with guns, by water, and himself marching over- 
land with one hundred and fifty men. He hoped 
to reunite his forces, the calculation being that the 
men sent by water would be able to descend the 
Mississippi and ascend the Ohio and the Wabash 
as soon as his men could march overland. 

Colonel Clark, the leader of the land expedition, 
in his memoirs has pictured many of the hardships 
of the way : 

A great part of the plains were under water several inches 
deep. It was difficult and very fatiguing marching. My 
object was to keep the men in spirits. . . . Without a 
murmur were those men led to the banks of the Little 
Wabash, which was reached on the 1 3th, through incredible 
difficulties, far surpassing anything that any of us had ever 
experienced. Frequently the diversion of the night wore 
off the thoughts of the preceding day. 

This place is called the two Little Wabashes. They are 
three miles apart, and from the heights of the one to that 
of the other, on the opposite shore, is five miles — the 
whole under water, generally about three feet deep, never 
under two, and frequently four. 

... I viewed this sheet of water for some time with dis- 
trust, but. ... I immediately set to work, ordered a pirogue 
to be built immediately, and acted as though crossing the 
water would be only a piece of diversion. . . . 

In the evening of the 14th our vessel was finished, 



92 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

manned, and sent to explore the drowned lands on the 
opposite side of the Little Wabash with private instructions 
what report to make, and, if possible, to find some spot of 
dry land. They found about half an acre and marked the 
trees from thence back to the camp. . . . 

. . . The channel of the river where we lay was about 
thirty yards wide. A scaffold was built on the opposite 
shore which was about three feet under water, and our 
baggage ferried across and put on it ; our horses swam 




TRADING WITH THE INDIANS 
From a mural decoration in Hotel Seelbach, Louisville, Kentucky 

across and received their loads at the scaffold, by which 
time the troops were brought across, and we began our 
march through the water. . . . As tracks could not be seen 
in the water, the trees were marked. 

By evening we found ourselves encamped on a pretty 
height in high spirits, each party laughing at the other in 
consequence of something that had happened in the course 
of the ferrying business, as they called it. A little antic 
drummer afforded the great diversion of floating on his 
drum. ... They now began to view the main Wabash as 
a creek, and made no doubt but such men as they w^ere 
could find a way across it. . . . 



GEORGE ROGERS CLARK 93 

But the leaders knew that the situation was 
critical. They were in the midst of a " drowned " 
country, as they called it. If the enemy should 
discover their advance and approach, the Virgin- 
ians would be at their mercy. In that case their 
only hope of escape would be by means of the 
vessel which had been sent up the Wabash. But 
this had not appeared as yet. 

Difificulties increased. The men began to de- 
spair; some talked of returning. But for five 
days longer the leader kept up their spirits. 

On February 21 Colonel Clark learned of a 
sugar camp, on the bank of the river, the near- 
est land. He sought this in a canoe, sounding 
the water as he went, and "found it deep as to 
my neck," he wrote. He continued: 

I returned with a design to have the men transported on 
board the canoes to the sugar camp, which I knew would 
spend the whole day and ensuing night, as the vessels 
would pass but slowly through the bushes. The loss of so 
much time to men half starved was a matter of consequence. 
. . . On our arrival all ran to hear what was the report. 
Every eye was fixed on me. I unfortunately spoke in a 
serious manner to one of the officers. The whole were 
alarmed without knowing what I said. They ran from one 
to another, bewailing their situation. I viewed their confu- 
sion for about one minute, whispered to those near me to 
put some water in my hand, poured on powder, blackened my 



94 



MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 



face, gave the warwhoop and marched into the water, without 
saying a word. The party gazed and fell in, one after an- 
other, without saying a word, like a flock of sheep. I ordered 
those near me to begin a favorite song of theirs. It was 
passed through the line and the w^hole went on cheerfully. 
. . . When about waist deep one of the men informed me 
that he thought he felt a path — a path is very easily discov- 
ered under water by the feet. We examined and found it so, 
and calculated that it kept on the highest ground, which it 




MARCHING THROUGH THE WATER TO VINCENNES 
From a mural decoration in Hotel Seelbach, Louisville, Kentucky 

did, and by taking pains to follow it, we got to the sugar 
camp without the least difficulty . . . where was about half an 
acre of dry ground, at least not under water, where we took 
up our lodging. 

In the morning the ice was from one half to 
three quarters of an inch thick, but the expedi- 
tion pushed on. The men grew weaker as time 
passed. The leader decided that a stratagem was 
necessary. So he " sent some of the strongest 
men forward with orders when they got to a cer- 
tain distance to pass the word back that the 



GEORGE ROGERS CLARK 95 

water was getting shallow, and when getting near 
the woods to cry out, ' land.' " This plan had the 
desired effect. The men, encouraged, helped one 
another, and even when they found that the water 
was becoming deeper they pushed on. The memoir 
continues : 

The water was up to my shoulders, but gaining the woods 
was of great consequence. All the low men, and the weakly, 
hung to the trees and floated on the old logs until they were 
taken off by the canoes. The strong and tall got ashore and 
built fires. Many would reach the shore and fall with their 
bodies half in the water, not being able to support themselves 
without it. 

At last, after sixteen days' journey, five of which 
were consumed in traveling the last nine miles of 
the way, the land force reached Fort Sackville, in 
advance of those who had gone by water. Colonel 
Clark reluctantly attacked without their aid. 

The town surrendered on February 23, 1779, and 
the fort surrendered next day. This almost blood- 
less victory assured the possession to the United 
States of the country north of the Ohio River and 
west of Pittsburgh. 

The leader of the expedition was unable to push 
on to Detroit, as he had planned to do, because 
reenforcements did not reach him in time. But he 
had done his work, and he had done it well. 



96 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

In later years Colonel Clark conducted other cam- 
paigns of importance, during the course of which he 
was made a brigadier general. But his fame rests 
on his winning of the " Northwest," as it was then 
called, for the state of Virginia, so that when the 
treaty of peace with England was made in 1783, 
the right of the United States to the territory was 
acknowledged. Virginia later surrendered her claim 
to the United States. Out of it the states of Illinois, 
Indiana, Ohio, Wisconsin, Michigan, and part of 
Minnesota were later formed. 

Until a short time before his death General Clark 
lived on Corn Island, near the Falls of the Ohio, 
his starting point in his expedition of defense and 
conquest. His country had forgotten his great 
services. He w^as a disappointed man. He felt 
that no one cared for him. But there was one man 
who never forgot him, Thomas Jefferson, who had 
always been his friend since the two lived so close 
together in Virginia. On December 19, 1807, when 
Jefferson was near the end of his second term as 
President, he wrote to the hermit of Corn Island: 

Dear Colonel : 

I avail myself of the opportunity of recalling myself 
to your memory and of assuring you that time has not 
lessened my friendship for you. We are both now grown 
old. You have been enjoying in retirement the recollection 



GEORGE ROGERS CLARK 97 

of the service you have rendered your country and I am 
about to retire without an equal consciousness that I have 
not occupied places in v^hich others would have done more 
good, but in all places and times I shall wish you every 
happiness, and salute you with great friendship and esteem. 

Th. Jefferson 
Genl. George Rogers Clark 

General Clark lived more than ten years after 
the receipt of this letter. In his later years he was 
paralyzed, and death was a relief. 

References for Further Reading 

English, William Hayden. Conquest of the Country Northwest of 

the River Ohio and Life of General George Rogers Clark. The 

Bobbs-Merrill Company, Indianapolis. 
Thwaites, Reuben Gold. How George Rogers Clark won the 

Northwest. A. C. McClurg & Co., Chicago. 
The Capture of Vincennes. Old South Leaflets, General Series, 

Volume 2, No. 43. 






A national debt, if not excessive, will prove to us a 
national blessing. 



1 



Alexander Hamilton 



CHAPTER VII 

ALEXANDER HAMILTON, STATESMAN 

(Born in the island of Nevis, British West Indies, January 1 1, 1757 ; 
died in New York City, July 1 2, 1 804) 

Alexander Hamilton must have had a pleasant 
boyhood on the little island in the Caribbean Sea 
where he was born, where the sun was warm and 
the wind blew softly and boys were as much at 
home in the water as on the land. 

His opportunity for play did not last long, for 
his mother died when he was eleven years old, 
his father left home in an effort to repair his 
fortune, and he became a charge on his relatives 
with whom he went to live on the Danish island of 
St. Croix, which now belongs to the United States. 

The high-spirited boy was not content to be de- 
pendent on others, and when the chance came he 
took a position as bookkeeper and general assistant 
for Nicholas Cruger, a merchant of St. Croix. Here 

98 




ALEXANDER HAMILTON 



99 



lOO MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

he did good work, and his employer soon found 
that he could depend on him. Yet the boy was not 
happy. He thought of other twelve-year-old boys 
who were in school, and he longed to have their 
opportunities. To a friend who went to America 
to study he wrote : 

I contemn the grovelling condition of a clerk, or the like, 
to v/hich my fortunes condemn me, and would willingly risk 
my life, though not my character, to exalt my station. I am 
confident, Ned, that my youth excludes me from any hope 
of immediate preferment, nor do I desire it ; but I mean 
to prepare the way for futurity. ... I shall conclude by 
saying I wish there was a war. 

Less than a year after this letter was written 
Mr. Cruger went to New York, leaving his business 
in the hands of the young clerk. 

Mr. Cruger had been absent only a few weeks 
when the boy wrote to the captain of the sloop 
Thunderbolt a letter which showed that Mr. Cruger s 
confidence in Hamilton was well merited : 

Herewith I give you all your despatches, and desire you 
will proceed immediately to Curracoa. . . . You know it is 
intended you shall go from thence to the main for a load 
of mules, and I beg if you do, you '11 be very choice in the 
quality of your mules, and bring as many as your vessel can 
conveniently contain — by all means take in a large supply 
of provender. Remember, you are to make three trips this 



ALEXANDER HAMILTON 



OI 



season, and unless you are very diligent you will be too late, 
as our crops will be early in. . . . I place an entire reliance 
upon the prudence of your conduct. 

On his return to St. Croix Mr. Cruger showed 
that he was entirely satisfied with the acts of his 
clerk. Hamilton, however, was not satisfied to re- 
main in his employ. He still dreamed of- the day 
when he could go to the American colonies to 
school, and he 
often talked to 
his friend Mr. 
Knox of his am- 
bition. Under the 
guidance of this 
friend he read and 
wrote whenever 
he had a chance. 
Pope and Plutarch were his favorite authors. 

His opportunity to go to America came as the re- 
sult of the great hurricane that laid waste St. Croix 
on August 31, 1772. A week later Hamilton wrote 
an account of this hurricane to his father. Early 
in October the account was printed in the Royal 
Danish- American Gazette, with the explanation that 
" the Author's modesty in long refusing to submit it 
to the Publick view, is the reason of its making its 
appearance so late as it now does." 




MARKET PLACE AT ST. CROIX 



I02 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

This is a small part of the vivid description given 
by Hamilton : 

What horror and destruction — it 's impossible for me to 
describe — or you to form any idea of it. It seemed as if a 
total desolation of nature was taking place. The roaring of 
the sea and wind — fiery meteors flying about in the air — 
the prodigious glare of almost perpetual lightning — the 
crash of the falling houses — and the ear-piercing shrieks 
of the distressed were sufficient to strike astonishment into 
angels ... a strong smell of gunpowder added somewhat to 
the terrors of the night ; and it was observed that the . rain 
was surprisingly salt. 

When Hamilton's relatives and friends read the 
hurricane letter they lost no time in agreeing with 
Mr. Knox that the writer should be given the 
chance to go to school in the colonies. The month 
following the hurricane he was put aboard a sailing 
vessel, and after a prosperous voyage he landed in 
Boston. After preparing for college at Elizabeth- 
town, New Jersey, he applied for admission to 
Princeton College, but the authorities refused to 
agree to his plan to take the four years' course 
in two years or less, and he went to King's College 
(now Columbia) in New York City. 

His college course was interrupted by the coming 
of the war for which he had expressed eagerness in 
1769. His sympathies were stirred by accounts of 



ALEXANDER HAMILTON 



03 



the wrongs of his adopted country at the hands of 
the mother country, and soon he was ready to cast 
in his lot with the patriots. One day when an out- 
door meeting of the Sons of Liberty was held for 
the purpose of stirring up the New York Assembly 
to take part in the first Continental Congress, he 




OLD CITY HALL, WALL STREET, NEW YORK, IN 1776 

pushed his way through the crowd and made an 
impassioned address that was remarkable for a 
boy only seventeen years old. A few weeks later 
New York's delegate departed for the Continental 
Congress, determined to remember the pleas of 
those who had been influenced by the meeting in 
the fields to " support at the risk of everything 
dear" any resolution that the Congress might adopt. 



I04 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

Hamilton's next step in the fight for liberty was 
the organization of a number of his fellow students 
into a military company which called itself " Hearts 
of Oak." These young patriots, who wore green 
coats and leather caps bearing the motto, " Liberty 
or Death," soon became marked men because of a 
number of daring acts, one of which was the re- 
moval of the cannon from the Battery under the 
guns of the British warship Asia. 

A little while after the adjournment of the Con- 
tinental Congress, those who were in favor of the 
strongest action to protect the liberties of the col- 
onies were dismayed by the appearance of two 
pamphlets, written by well-known loyalists. It was 
feared that unless someone could answer these 
promptly and effectively the cause of the colonies 
would be in great danger. When fears were 
greatest the pamphlets were answered in a masterly 
manner by an anonymous author, who proved to 
be the eighteen-year-old Alexander Hamilton. In 
his pamphlet he hinted that independence might 
be the result of the quarrel with Great Britain, 
and suggested that France might decide to take a 
part in the war. 

In 1776 Hamilton became captain of a volunteer 
company of artillery, but he had not served a year 
when Washington asked him to become a member 



ALEXANDER HAMILTON 



105 



of his staff, with the rank of Heutenant colonel. 
Here he remained until February, 1781, helping 
the Commander in Chief with his letters and carry- 
ing out the General's orders with wisdom and tact. 
Other members of 
Washington's staff 
were not jealous 
of him, the young- 
est of the com- 
pany, even when 
the Commander in 
Chief came to de- 
pend more on him 
than on themselves. 
They called him 
" the little lion," 
and became his 
earnest friends. 

Hamilton's serv- 
ices during the 
war were invalu- 
able, but his fame 

rests on what he did after the war. In 1782 he 
began the practice of law in New York City. He 
was not allowed to remain in private life. Most of 
the next twenty years were given to the service of 
his country. He helped Robert Morris solve the 




THE MARQUIS DE LAFAYETTE 
A friend and associate of Hamilton 



lo6 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

financial problems of the closing years of the war, 
and he made it his business to devise and carry out 
plans for the strengthening of the young nation. 
" Peace made, a new scene opens," he said in one 
of his letters. '^ The object will then be to make 
our independence a blessing. To do this, we must 
secure our Union on solid foundations." 

As a member of Congress in 1782 he opposed 
those who thought that the only government neces- 
sary for the country w^ould be provided by the 
adoption of amendments to the Articles of Con- 
federation. With all his might he urged the folly 
of such a course ; he said that only a strong gov- 
ernment backed by a constitution could correct 
the mistakes that had proved all but fatal in 
the past. 

Failure in this first attempt did not discourage 
him. In 1787 his second chance came to fight for 
a closer union of the states. As a member of the 
Constitutional Convention which met at Philadel- 
phia, he was troubled because of conditions which 
John Fiske describes vividly: 

Congress was bankrupt, foreign nations were scoffing at 
us, Connecticut had barely escaped from war with Pennsyl- 
vania, and New York with New Hampshire, there were 
riots and bloodshed in Vermont, Rhode Island seemed on 
the verge of civil war, Massachusetts was actually engaged 



ALEXANDER HAMILTON 



107 



in suppressing armed rebellion, Connecticut and New Jersey 
were threatening commercial non-intercourse with New York, 
Spain was defying us at the mouth of the Mississippi and 
a party in Virginia was entertaining the idea of a separate 
Southern confederacy. 

Hamilton's proposals for a centralized govern- 
ment were extreme, and they were not adopted, 
but his powerful addresses had their effect in per- 
suading the delegates of the necessity of drafting 
a constitution. In behalf of New York state he 
signed the document that was adopted, and at once 
became known as the foremost advocate of its rati- 
fication by the states. Then he showed his great- 
ness : he had not had his own way, but he was 
heart and soul for the constitution because, as a 
true patriot, he put aside personal feelings in 
his eagerness for his country's welfare. 

During the campaign that followed for the rati- 
fication of the constitution by the states, he wrote 
the wonderful arguments in favor of the document 
that were later collected, together with papers writ- 
ten by James Madison and John Jay, in the volume, 
" The Federalist." These papers did much to win 
to the constitution the people of New York, and 
even of other states. 

One of Hamilton's greatest contests came in the 
New York State Convention of 1788, called to 



Io8 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

consider the question of ratifying the constitution. 
Ten of the thirteen states had already ratified it. 
New York was the largest state that had not acted. 
Governor Clinton was against ratification, and the 
majority of the delegates were ready to vote with 
him. Hamilton realized that if Clinton had his way, 
the new country could not exist many years ; there 
would be no future for a country whose parts were 
separated by New York. Yet how could he hope 
for a favorable vote when more than two thirds 
of the delegates, as well as their chairman, were 
opposed to ratification ? By common consent he 
became the leader of the minority. By his mar- 
velous tact, eloquence, and mastery of his subject 
he won to his side a sufiicient number of the 
delegates to carry ratification by a majority of 
three votes. 

As Secretary of the Treasury under Washington, 
Hamilton saved the country from other perils. He 
felt that everything depended on the prompt estab- 
lishment of America's credit on a firm basis. He 
saw that it would not be enough to devise methods 
of raising money, but that adequate provision must 
be made for the payment of the country's debts to 
its own citizens and to foreign governments, as well 
as the debts owed by the individual states to private 
citizens. As a matter of course everybody favored 



ALEXANDER HAMILTON 



109 



the payment of debts owed by the country as a 
whole, but there was opposition to the government's 
assumption of these state debts. Yet Hamilton 
knew that there could be no united support of the 
government if the creditors of the states were not 




AT THE DOCKS IN PHILADELPHIA 
From Birch's " Views of Philadelphia," 1800 

provided for by the government. When his plan 
was adopted the wisdom of his course soon became 
apparent. 

His financial scheme was completed by the impo- 
sition of customhouse duties and internal revenue 
taxes, and by the establishment of a national bank 



no MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

in which the government was a stockholder. F'or 
twenty years after the Secretary of the Treasury 
succeeded in his plans the bank did its work well, 
and then made way for further developments in 
the country's banking system. 

Hamilton's service to his country did not end 
with the close of his term as Secretary of the 
Treasury. As a private citizen he advised with 
public men, and was influential in bringing about 
needed reforms and in outlining vital policies. 

His last official service began in 1798, when 
Washington appointed him one of three generals 
of the provisional army raised for the threatened 
w^ar with France. In 1800, when the danger of 
war was past, he resigned his commission. 

Four years later he died of a wound received in 
a duel with Aaron Burr. The challenge to the 
duel had been sent because Burr misunderstood 
and resented acts that proved anew Hamilton's 
patriotism. 

It has been said that the mourning for "the little 
lion " was like that called forth in after years by the 
murder of Abraham Lincoln. But the event was 
not without benefit, for from the day of Hamilton's 
death there came to be a growing horror of dueling, 
and soon the practice was discredited throughout 
the Northern states. 



ALEXANDER HAMILTON III 

References for Further Reading 

Atherton, Gertrude. A Few of Hamilton's Letters. The Mac- 
millan Company, New York. 

Atherton, Gertrude. The Conqueror. The Macmillan Company, 
New York. 

FiSKE, John. Alexander Hamilton. Cosmopolita/i, October, 1902. 

Hamilton, Allen McLane. Life of Alexander Hamilton. Charles 
Scribner's Sons, New York. 

Lodge, Henry Cabot. Alexander Hamilton. Houghton Mifflin Com- 
pany, Boston. 

Schouler, James. Alexander Hamilton. Small, Maynard and Com- 
pany, Boston. 



1 



Works of this kind require much time, patience, and 
application, and till they are brought about, penury fre- 
quently presses hard on the projector. 



Robert Fulton 






CHAPTER VIII 

ROBERT FULTON, AN INVENTOR OF THE 
STEAMBOAT 

(Born in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, November 14, 1765; died 
in New York City, February 24, 181 5) 

As a schoolboy Robert Fulton was the despair 
of his masters. Sometimes they thought he was 
lazy. But the trouble was that they did not under- 
stand him. He was eager to work if he could work 
with his hands. He liked to go to the shops where 
men were making things. There he proved a help 
and not a hindrance ; he was always glad to aid the 
men whom he watched, and they were glad to have 
him come. 

One day when he was nine years old he came 
to school late. His Quaker master, Caleb Johnson, 
asked the reason for his tardiness, and learned that 
he had been at a shop near the school pounding 
out lead, and that he had made a neat lead pencil. 



ROBERT FULTON 



113 



A few days later the teacher complained to his 
mother that the boy had said, *' My head is so full 
of original notions that there is no vacant chamber 
to store away the contents of any dusty books." 

When Robert was thirteen years old the citizens 
of Lancaster were asked to light no candles on the 
night of July 4, in 
celebration of the 
day, because can- 
dles were expen- 
sive. But the boy 
inventor thought 
of something bet- 
ter; he told a store- 
keeper from whom 
he was buying 
pasteboard of his 
intention to shoot 
candles through 
the air, since the 

people had been forbidden to burn them in their 
windows. And when the storekeeper told him his 
plan was impossible, Robert replied, " There is 
nothing impossible." 

He was nicknamed '' Quicksilver Bob " because 
of experiments he made with quicksilver, as well 
as because he was so quick and accurate in doing 




ROBERT FULTON 



114 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

things that to others seemed difficult or impossible. 
His suggestions proved of special value to those 
who were employed by the government to make 
and repair the arms for the Continental troops. 

He was fifteen when, with a companion, Christo- 
pher Gumpf, and Christopher's father, he went 
several times on fishing excursions on the Con- 
estoga. It was the task of the boys to pole the 
boat along the stream. One evening Robert re- 
marked that he was tired towing that heavy pole. 
During the next few days he made a working model 
of a fishing boat with paddle wheels. Later he told 
Christopher that they must make a set of paddles 
to work at the side of the boat, to be operated 
by a double crank. This contrivance was made 
as planned : 

Two arms or pieces of timber were fastened together at 
right angles, with a paddle at each end, and the crank was 
attached to the boat across it, near the stern, with a paddle 
operating on a pivot as a rudder. . . . The boys were so 
pleased with the experiment, that they hid the paddles in 
the bushes on the shore, lest others might come and break 
them, and attached them to the boat whenever they chose ; 
and thus did they enjoy many fishing excursions. 

At the age of seventeen Robert went to Phila- 
delphia, where he succeeded in making a living as 
an artist. For years he had shown ability to use 



ROBERT FULTON 



115 



the pencil, and it is probable that in Philadelphia 
he received training from some established artist. 
In 1785 White's Directory of Philadelphia contained 
this line : 

Fulton, Robert; Miniature painter, corner of 2nd and 
Walnut Streets. 

Among the protraits painted by him was one of 
Benjamin Franklin, who was quite friendly with the 
pleasant young man from the country. Probably 
one of the reasons for Franklin's interest was the 
fact that Fulton knew how to save his money. The 
artist had two reasons for saving : he wanted to go 
to Europe to study art, and he wanted to buy a farm 
for his widowed mother. On his twenty-first birth- 
day he went to Lancaster and took his mother and 
sister to the new home, and toward the end of the 
year he sailed for England. 

When he arrived in London he had forty pounds 
in cash and a letter of introduction from Benjamin 
Franklin to Benjamin West. The letter of introduc- 
tion opened the way to the friendship of a master 
artist, but the forty pounds did not go very far in 
paying the expenses of an art student. He was 
frequently hungry, and many times he changed his 
lodgings, usually for cheaper quarters. He had so 
little money that it was often a hardship to pay the 



Il6 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

postage on letters from home. In 1789 he asked 
his mother: 

Write small and close that you may say a great deal in 
small compass, for the ships often put the letters ashore at 
the first port they make. They then come by post to London. 
And I have often paid half a guinea for a small package of 
letters — the better to accomplish this, you better buy letter 
paper as it is thin, for we pay according to the weight and 
not the size ; so if you can send me a pound of news upon 
an ounce of paper I shall save almost a guinea by it. 

A letter written to his mother on January 20, 
1792, gave some particulars of his struggle with 
poverty. After telling of his success in having pic- 
tures hung at the exhibition in the Royal Academy, 
he said : 

Many Many a Silent Solitary hour have I spent in the 
most unnerved, Studdy Anxiously pondering how to make 
funds to support me till the fruits of my labours should 
sifficant to repay this. Thus I w^ent on for near four years 
— happily beloved by all who knew me or I long had ear 
now been Crushed by Povertie's Cold wind — and Freezing 
Rain — til last Summer I was Invited by Lord Coventry 
down to his Country seat to paint a picture of him which 
gave his Lordship so much pleasure that he has introduced 
me to all his Friends — And it is but just now that I am 
beginning to get a little money and pay some debtts which 
I was obliged to Contract so I hope in about 6 months to 
be clear with the world or in other words out of debt and 
then start fair to Make all I can. 



ROBERT FULTON 



117 



Not long after writing this letter he gave up his 
work as an artist. Perhaps he decided that he could 
not make a sufficient living with the brush. At any 
rate, letters written in 1793 show that he was then 
giving all his attention to engineering problems. 

His first venture was a mill for sawing marble. 
Later he patented double inclined planes for canals. 




THE CLERMONT 



He made a machine for spinning flax and a rope- 
making machine. He patented a sort of improved 
machine for digging canals, and spent months in 
planning for improvements in canal construction 
and operation. 

He did not make the money he hoped to receive 
from his inventions. In 1796 he wrote to one who 
was interested in certain plans: 



Il8 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

Works of this kind Require jnuch time, Patience and 
application. And till they are Brought About, Penury fre- 
quently Presses hard on the Projector ; And this my Lord 
is so much my Case at this Moment, That I am Now Sit- 
ting Reduced to half-a-Crown, Without knowing where to 
obtain a shilling for some Months. This my Lord is an 
Awkward situation to a feeling Mind, which would devote 
every Minuet to Increase the Comforts of Mankind. 

Two months later the inventor wrote a long letter 
to George Washington, telling of his plan for a 
system of canals that would give " easy Communi- 
cation to every part of the American States." He 
hoped to see to it that in the most populous parts 
of the country no house should be "more than lo 
or 14 miles from a Canal." 

From England Fulton went to France. At first 
he sought to interest leaders in his canal project. 
Later he made plans of a submarine and torpedo 
boat, the Nautihis, which he built and operated 
successfully. But the government refused to com- 
mission him to make use of it, and it was broken 
up. He refused to tell the secret of the boat's 
construction. 

Then began the final stage in his inventive work. 
Ever since as a boy he made his experiment with 
paddle wheels, he had been interested in improved 
methods of navigation for water craft. He must 



ROBERT FULTON 



119 



have known of the paddle boat built in 1785 by 
John Fitch, and of its two successors, one of which 
became a regular passenger boat on the Delaware, 
running a total of between two and three thousand 
miles at a speed of from seven to eight miles an 




THE WRECK OF THE SirALLOM^ 
The S7oa//cmi was an early Hudson River steamboat 

hour. Fitch had patented his inventions, but pov- 
erty had kept him from reaping the rewards of his 
ingenuity and the vessels had ceased to run. Thus 
the field was open for Fulton. 

Once an American who visited Fulton in France 
saw on his wall a sketch of a steamboat. " There is 
the image of what will yet traverse the rivers and 
the ocean," Fulton said, when he saw that this had 



I20 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

attracted the attention of his visitor. In 1798 he 
drew a plan for a boat to be operated by a con- 
trivance much Hke the modern screw propeller used 
by ocean steamships. 

Just at this time Robert R. Livingston came 
to Paris as United States minister. This was in 
November, 1801. To him had been granted by the 
state of New York, three years before, the exclu- 
sive right of navigating " all kinds of boats which 
might be propelled by the force of steam or fire " 
on New York state waters, for the term of twenty 
years, provided that, within a year, he build such a 
boat, which would be able to make not less than four 
miles per hour. This agreement was later extended. 

Mr. Livingston was looking for an inventor who 
would help him to solve his problem. He was 
therefore as glad to meet Fulton as Fulton was to 
meet him. The men agreed to work together and 
to share the profits of the venture. 

After a series of experiments in France and 
England, Fulton sailed to America, reaching New 
York on December 13, 1806, after an absence of 
nineteen years. Three months later he wrote to 
Mr. Livingston that " the steamboat " was then 
building. When this was launched an engine con- 
structed in England at Fulton's direction was in- 
stalled, and the boat was ready for the trial trip. 



ROBERT FULTON 



121 



Monday, August 17, 1807, was the day of the 
trial. Crowds gathered to see the faikire of " Ful- 
ton's Folly," as they called the boat. 

In a letter to a friend Fulton told the result of 
the trial : 

My steamboat voyage to Albany and back has turned out 
rather more favorably than I had calculated. The distance 
from New York to 
Albany is one hun- 
dred and fifty miles. 
I ran it up in thirty- 
two hours and down 
in thirty. I had a 
light breeze against" 
me the whole way 
both going and com- 
ing and the voyage 
has been performed 
wholly by the power 
of the steam en- 
gine. . . . The power of propelling boats by steam is now 
fully proved. The morning I left New York there were not 
perhaps thirty persons in the city who believed that the 
boat would even move a mile an hour, or be of the least 
utility, and while we were putting off from the wharf, which 
was crowded with spectators, I heard a number of sarcastic 
remarks. . . . 

Having employed much time, money and zeal in accom- 
plishing this work, it gives me, as it will you, great pleasure 
to see it fully answer my expectation. It will give as cheap 




THE UNITED STATES WAR VESSEL 
DEMOLOGOS, 1814 



122 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

and quick conveyance to the mepchants on the Mississippi, 
Missouri, and other great rivers which are now laying open 
their treasures to the enterprise of our citizens ; and although 
the prospect of honor and emolument have been some in- 
ducement to me, yet I feel infinitely more pleasure in re- 
flecting on the immense advantages that my country will 
derive from the invention. . . . 

It seems strange that so few people realized the 
great importance of the first successful steamboat 
voyage on the Hudson River. There were at the 
time 83,000 people in New York City, for whom 
twenty newspapers were printed, half of them being 
dailies, " yet, excepting the letters wi'itten by Fulton 
and some of the passengers, there w^as merely the 
barest mention of the steamboat outside of the 
advertising columns." 

Not many years passed till Fulton's countrymen 
realized what they owed to him. But by that time 
Fulton was dead. 

References for Further Reading 

Dickinson, H, H. Robert Fulton, Engineer and Artist. John Lane 

Company, London, 1813. 
Reigart, J. Franklin. Life of Robert Fulton. G. G. Henderson and 

Company, Philadelphia, 1856. 






I think I can mend it. 

Eli Whitney 



:f/^VY/^rr/Ar)r^V)^/^^^nYYnY^^ 



CHAPTER IX 

ELI WHITNEY, INVENTOR OF THE COTTON GIN 

(Born December 8, 1765, in Westboro, Massachusetts; died 
January 8, 1825, in New Haven, Connecticut) 

Eli Whitney came naturally by his taste for 
machinery. His father was not only a farmer but 
a handy man on whom the neighbors learned to call 
for all sorts of carpenter and cabinet work. With 
equal skill he could fashion fine pieces of furniture 
or wheels and yokes for ox wagons. 

His father's tools had a wonderful fascination for 
him ; it was useless to forbid him to handle them. 
At first he tinkered, after the fashion of boys, but 
it is recorded that when he was twelve years old 
he made a fiddle which proved to be such a good 
instrument that neighbors employed him to repair 
some of their musical instruments. 

He was not afraid to attempt other difficult tasks. 

When one of the fine table knives brought into the 

123 



124 



MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 



Whitney home by his stepmother was broken, he 
succeeded in replacing it. In those days, before the 
invention of the nail-cutting machine, nails were 
made by hand, and the nails he made were in 
demand. He was skillful also in turning wooden 
canes for men and fashioning metal pins for 
women's hats. In fact, he seemed never at a loss 

when he decided to make 
anything. Frequently, if he 
did not have the necessary 
tools, he would make these 
for himself. 

During his earlier years 
he felt that school training 
was not so necessary as the 
ability to work with tools. 
Later he changed his mind ; 
he saw that if he was to 
make the most of himself, 
even as a handler of tools, he must have the best 
education possible. He therefore planned to go to 
Yale College, but he was twenty-three years of age 
before he could begin his course. Part of the neces- 
sary money he borrowed from his father, promising 
to repay this as soon as possible after graduation. 
The promise was kept within three years after 
leaving college. 




ELI WHITNEY 



ELI WHITNEY 



125 



There was much demand for his work when his 
abiUty with tools became known. Once he helped 
a carpenter who was building a house. The car- 
penter was a little dubious as to his ability; evi- 
dently he had dealt with student workers before. 
But Whitney's skill was so great that the carpenter 




THE OLD BRICK ROW AT YALE COLLEGE 

looked on in admiration, and finally said, " There 
was a good mechanic spoiled when you came to 
college." The student must have smiled ; he knew 
that education would make him a better mechanic 
than ever, though he intended to be a lawyer. 

An unexpected opportunity to show what he 
could do came one day when he heard one of his 



126 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

teachers say that a piece of broken apparatus used 
in instruction must be sent abroad for repairs. 
Whitney surprised the instructor by saying, " I 
think I can mend it." Then he surprised him 
still more by doing the work thoroughly and 
promptly. 

After his graduation, Whitney decided to teach. 
Finding no opening near home, he went to South 
Carolina, on the promise of a salary of one hun- 
dred guineas for the first year. In Savannah he was 
told that he w^as to have but fifty guineas. He de- 
clined to teach for this sum, and began to look for 
other work. 

While he was trying to decide what to do, he 
was invited by the widow of General Nathanael 
Greene, whom he had met on the voyage to 
Savannah, to live on her plantation, twelve miles 
from Savannah, while he studied law. Evidently 
she felt that a man of his ability and training 
would be a good companion for her children. 

George lies has told of the next incidents, that 
proved the turning point in WHiitney's life : 

One evening as his hostess sat embroidering, she com- 
plained that her tambour frame tore the delicate silk of her 
pattern. Whitney saw at a glance how he could make a 
better frame, and this he accomplished next day to her 
delight. Early the next year Mrs. Greene received a visit 



ELI WHITNEY 



7 



from three comrades of General Greene, who resided on 
plantations near Augusta, and who often talked about sow- 
ing and reaping with their vital bearing on profit or loss. 
They agreed that much of the up-country land belonging 
to themselves and their neighbors yielded good cotton, but 
that cotton had little or no value owing to the high cost of 
dividing lint from seed. At that time to part a pound of 
lint from the three pounds of seed, was ten hours' work for 
a quick hand. 
Usually the task 
was taken up 
when regular 
work was over 
for the day. 
Then the slaves, 
men, women, 
and children, 
sat around a 
taskmaster who 
shook the doz- 
ing and urged 

the slow. One evening as her visitors deplored the lack 
of a machine to supplant the tedious and costly process, 
Mrs. Greene said, " Gentlemen, apply to my friend, Mr. 
Whitney; he can make anything," showing them her 
tambour frame, with an array of her children's toys which 
he had made or mended. Whitney, thus appealed to, 
said that his home had been so far north that he had never 
seen cotton, as plucked from the bolls, with its seed firmly 
attached to the lint, so that the task of separation had 
never occurred to him. 




THE COTTON GIN 



128 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

The explanation was made to Whitney that the 
roller gin, which was used on the long-staple Sea 
Island cotton, was not effective for the short-staple 
cotton which grew on the mainland. 

In Savannah, next day, Whitney examined care- 
fully a specimen of raw cotton, and had a vision of 
the machine that would separate the seeds from 
the fiber far more quickly and thoroughly than the 
hands of the slaves. At once he went back to the 
plantation and began making experiments. 

The inventor would be cheered by the momen- 
tary success of a plan adopted for the separating 
of the seeds and the fiber, only to be disappointed 
when he found fatal flaws in his device. But he 
was not discouraged. Patiently he tried both iron 
and wire for the teeth which he hoped would 
take the place of human fingers. 

The wire teeth succeeded better than those made 
of iron, but in a short time the lint clogged them. 
He was wondering how to solve the difficulty 
when Mrs. Greene suggested that he clean the 
teeth with an ordinary hearth brush. This gave 
him an idea. He made a wooden cylinder, on 
which bristles were fastened. These bristles op- 
posed the cylinder armed with wire teeth, and 
ran four times as fast as the cylinder. This 
experiment was a complete success. 



ELI WHITNEY 



129 



The working model was ready for inspection 
within a few weeks. The planters who were in- 
vited to study it became enthusiastic. They 
urged Whitney to patent his invention at once. 
They told him that his machine would revolu- 
tionize the cotton industry, and that he would 
become a wealthy man if he followed their advice. 
But the inventor 
objected that he 
did not wish to 
interrupt his law 
studies, and that he 
did not have the 
funds to push the 
invention. There- 
upon Phineas Mil- 
ler, the manager 
of Mrs. Greene's 

plantation, who was also a Yale graduate, offered 
to furnish the funds. Reluctantly Whitney ac- 
cepted the proposal. To Mr. Miller he gave a 
half interest in the gin. 

A model, made by Whitney in Connecticut, 
was sent to Washington with an application for a 
patent This was forwarded to Thomas Jefferson, 
who was Washington's Secretary of State. Thomas 
Jefferson's knowledge of the cotton industry led 




THE COTTON GIN AT WORK 



130 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

him to see the wonderful advantages of the inven- 
tion, and the patent was granted on March 14, 1794. 

But difficulties w^ere not at an end. Miller was 
not able to supply all the money needed. Loans 
were made at a rate of interest that used up all 
the profits. Then the factory in New Haven was 
burned. The planters had been encouraged by the 
success of the machine to increase their acreage 
of cotton sown, and they demanded machines 
which could not be supplied by the owners of 
the patent. Discovering a flaw in the patent, 
many of them had gins made in the South ; it 
was one of the advantages of the device that it 
was so simple that a carpenter and a blacksmith 
could manufacture it without difficulty. 

In 1796 a patent was granted to a rival inven- 
tor, who used saws instead of wires in separating 
the cotton seeds from the fiber. This patent was 
later withdrawn, when Whitney proved in court 
that in his original papers filed in Washington 
with his model he had spoken of the fact that saws 
might be used in this way. But the suggestion 
was not noted in the patent itself. 

The governor of Georgia and the state legis- 
lature asked Congress to modify Whitney's patent, 
or to pay him for his invention, that the patent 
might be canceled and the gins made free to 



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IS 




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A MODERN COTTON GIN 



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132 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY" 

all. In other states the suggestion was made 
that state rights be paid for by an appropriation 
made by the legislature. 

When Whitney heard of these propositions, he 
drove from New Haven, Connecticut, to Columbia, 
South Carolina. There he asked for $100,000 for 
the free use of the gin in that state. Later he 
accepted $50,000 in exchange for two machines 
which might be used as models ; of this sum 
$20,000 was paid on account. 

The North Carolina legislature did not pay 
outright for the privilege of manufacturing the 
gin, but levied a tax of two shillings and six- 
pence for five years on every gin in use. From 
the proceeds of this tax. Miller and Whitney 
received about $20,000. Tennessee, too, tried tax- 
ation, and paid the owners of the patent about 
$10,000. Other small amounts brought the total 
received by the partners to about $90,000. 

A little later, attempts were made in South 
Carolina to prove that the balance due on the 
$50,000 should not be paid because the cotton 
gin was really invented by a Swiss, and not by 
Whitney. To the honor of the state, however, it 
is recorded that the legislature upheld Whitney's 
claim to the invention and insisted on paying 
the full amount of the settlement. In North 



J 



ELI WHITNEY 1 33 

Carolina also the efforts of those who desired 
repudiation were a failure. 

But when Whitney applied to Congress for a 
renewal of his patent, the petition was denied. 
The manufacture of the gin was made free to all. 

The cotton gin used in most parts of the South 
to-day is almost identical with Whitney's saw gin. 
The roller gin is used to some extent, but, even 
with many improvements, this has not displaced 
Whitney's device. 

When the income from the gin was cut off, 
Whitney became a manufacturer of firearms for 
the United States . government. In his factory 
in New Haven he introduced radical improve- 
ments in management. Many of these anticipated 
efficiency plans adopted in more modern factories. 

Whitney's fame is due entirely to the invention 
of the cotton gin, without which the history of 
the South must have been quite different. When 
he went to Savannah the output of cotton in the 
country was very small. A few years before, in 
1784, when an American vessel carried a small 
quantity of cotton to Liverpool, it was seized at 
the customhouse on the ground that a false 
declaration had been made as to the vessel's 
cargo ; the officers insisted that cotton could not 
be grown in America. Twenty- five years after 



134 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

the invention of the gin, the exports of cotton 
from the United States were of greater value 
than all other exports combined. In 19 14 the 
crop was more than sixteen hundred times as 
large as the crop of 1793. 

References for Further Reading 

Iles,' George. " Eli Whitney, " in Leading American Inventors. 
Henry Holt and Company, New York. 

Olmsted, Denisox. Memoirs of Eli Whitney. New Haven, 1846. 



^ y^WAM^X».UXVUAX!JA^UX^W^UUUXAO -^WX^U^ 



In charity to all mankind, bearing no malice or ill wi 
to any human being. 

John (^uincy Adams 




CHAPTER X 

JOHN QUINCY ADAMS, STATESMAN 

(Born in Braintree (now Quincy), Massachusetts, July 1 1, 1767 ; died in 
Washington, D. C, February 23, 1848) 

John Quincy Adams spent his early years amid 
scenes that inspired patriotism. Frequently he 
heard the talk of his parents and their neighbors 
about the trials and hopes of the colonies. As he 
listened to them he decided that he too would be 
of use to the country for which others had made 
such sacrifices. 

The impression was deepened when he was 
seven years old. During the battle of Bunker 
Hill he climbed with his mother to the top of a 
high hill and listened to the cannonading. From 
this hill he was able to see the reflection from 
the fires that raged in Charlestown. Later, during 
the siege of Boston, his steps turned many times 
to the hilltop. 

135 



136 



MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 



These events excited John so much that he 
beUeved in dangers that did not exist. To his 
father, who was a delegate to the Continental 
Congress at Philadelphia, he wrote that the mem- 
bers of the little household were in constant terror, 




THE HOUSES WHERE JOHN ADAMS AND JOHN QUINCY ADAMS 
WERE BORN, QUINCY, MASSACHUSETTS 

for they thought they were " liable every hour of 
the day and of the night to be butchered in cold 
blood, or taken and carried into Boston as hostages, 
by any foraging or marauding detachments." The 
father must have smiled when he read the letter; 
he understood that older members of the house- 
hold would not be so fearful as John imagined. 



JOHN QUINCY ADAMS 1 37 

Even if John was fearful, he had real courage, 
for he was perfectly willing to ride often between 
Boston and the home farm, a distance of eleven 
miles, that the family might receive frequent letters 
from Mr. Adams, as well as the news from the 
city. 

On June 2, 1777, when he was less than ten 
years old, he wrote to his father: 

Dear Sir, — I love to receive letters very well, much 
better than I love to write them. I make but a poor figure 
at composition ; my head is much too fickle, my thoughts 
are running after birds' eggs, play and trifles, till I get 
vexed with myself. I have just entered the 3d volume of 
Smollett, tho' I had designed to have got it half through 
by this time. I have determined this week to be more 
diligent, as Mr. Thaxter will be about at Court and I Can- 
not pursue my other Studies. I have set myself a Stent 
and determined to read the 3d volume Half out. If I can 
but keep my resolution I will write again at the end of the 
week and give a better account of myself. I wish, Sir, you 
would give me some instruction with regard to my time, 
and advise me how to proportion my Studies and my Play, 
in writing, and I will keep this before me and endeavor to 
follow this. I am, dear Sir, with a fervent determination of 
growing better. Yours. 

P. S. Sir, if you will be so good as to favor me with a 
Blank book, I will transcribe the most remarkable occur- 
rences I meet with in my reading, which will serve to fix 
them upon my mind. 



138 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

He was but eleven ye'ars old when he went 
with his father to Paris, where Mr. Adams had 
been sent on an errand for the Continental Con- 
gress. On September 27, 1778, he wrote to his 
mother from Passy, France : 

Honored Mamma, — My Pappa enjoins it upon me to 
keep a Journal, or a Diary of the events that happen to 
me, and of objects that I see, and of Characters that I con- 
verse with from day to day ; and tho' I am Convinced of 
the Utility, importance and necessity of this Exercise, yet 
I have not patience to do it so Constantly as I ought. My 
Pappa, who takes a great deal of pains to put me in the 
right way, has also advised me to Preserve Copies of all 
my letters, and has given me a Convenient Blank Book 
for this end ; and altho' I shall have the Mortification a few 
years hence to read a great deal of my childish nonsense, 
yet I shall have the Pleasure and advantage of Remarking 
the several steps by which I shall have advanced in taste, 
judgment, and knowledge. A Journal Book and a letter 
Book of a Lad of Eleven Years old Can not be expected 
to contain much of Science, Literature, art, wisdom, or wit, 
yet it may serve to perpetuate many observations that I 
may make. 

The diary was begun, but there were many in- 
terruptions up to 1795, when he opened the journal 
which he continued until within a few days of 
his death. 

It does not seem strange that a boy who could 
write such a mature letter at eleven years of age 



JOHN QUINCY ADAMS 



139 



should, at fourteen, be chosen secretary to Francis 
Dana, the envoy from the United States to 
Russia. Later he became one of the secretaries 
of the commission that negotiated in Paris the 
treaty of peace between Great Britain and the 
United States. 

The young man 
had the opportu- 
nity to go with his 
father when Mr. 
Adams was ap- 
pointed minister 
to England. He 
knew that this 
stay in England 
would be pleasant, 
but he decided to 
return to America 
and continue his 
education at Har- 
vard College. In 

his diary he frankly owned that it would be hard 
" to spend one or two years in the pale of a col- 
lege, subject to all the rules which I have so long 
been freed from," but he said that he was deter- 
mined to get his own living in an honorable manner, 
and be dependent on no one. 



i i 




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JOHN QUINCY ADAMS 



I40 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

After fifteen months at Harvard, he graduated 
in 1787. Details of the next three years, which 
he spent as a student in a law ofifice at Newbury- 
port, he recorded in his diary. 

On April 14, 1787, he told of his arrival in 
Newbury port : 

I did not enter the town with the most favorable im- 
pressions. About three weeks hence I am to become an 
inhabitant of the place. Without friends or connections, I 
am to stand on my own ground, and am in all probability 
to live here three years ; whether agreeably or not time only 
will discover ; but the presages within my heart are not such 
as I should w^ish realized. 

During 1788 he made several references to the 
proposed United States Constitution, to which there 
was a good deal of opposition in Massachusetts. 
On January 9, 1788, he wrote: 

This day our State Convention is to meet in Boston for 
the purpose of assenting to and ratifying the Federal Con- 
stitution. . . . Some think there will be a great majority 
for adopting the Constitution, while others hope the oppo- 
site party will greatly preponderate. 

On February 7, i jSS, he wrote : 

This day, at about noon, the news arrived in this town 
that the Federal Constitution was yesterday adopted and 
ratified by a majority of nineteen members in our State 



JOHN QUINCY ADAMS 



141 



Convention. In this town the satisfaction is almost uni- 
versal ; for my own part, I have not been pleased with this 
system, and my acquaintances have long since branded me 
with the name of anti-federalist. But I am now converted 
though not convinced. My feelings upon the occasion have 




BUILDING THE FRIGATE PHILADELPHIA 
From Birch's "Views of Philadelphia," 1800 



not been passionate nor violent ; and, as upon the decision 
of the question I find myself on "the weaker side, I think 
it my duty to submit without murmuring against what is 
not to be helped. In our government, opposition to the 
acts of a majority of the people is rebellion to all intents 
and purposes. . . . 



142 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

His feelings toward the Constitution led him to 
write on February 8 : 

This afternoon the delegates from Newbury and from 
this town returned home from Convention. A number of 
very respectable citizens, and a number who were not very 
respectable, went out on horseback to meet the members 
and escort them into town ; as they came along the bells at 
the different churches were set to ringing, and this noisy 
expression of joy was continued with some intermissions 
until eight o'clock in the evening. The mob huzza'd, and 
one would have thought that every man from the adoption 
of the Constitution had acquired a sure expectancy of an 
independent fortune. 

On July 4 of the same year he made another 
reference to the Constitution : 

In the middle of the afternoon the news arrived that 
Virginia had acceded to the Federal Constitution, and im- 
mediately the bells were set to ringing and the guns to 
firing again, without any mercy, and continued all the 
remainder of the afternoon. In the evening a number of 
young fellows paraded round the streets, with candles lighted 
in their hands and a drum before them, not much to their 
own credit or to the honour of the day ; but they did no 
damage. 

For some years Mr. Adams practiced law, but 
when, in 1794, he was appointed by President 
Washington as minister to The Hague, he gave 
up his office and sailed for Europe. Because of 



JOHN QUINCY ADAMS 143 

the election of his father to the presidency in 
1796, he thought that he ought not to accept 
further office, but Washington urged that the pro- 
motion the son had earned ought not to be kept 
from him merely because the father had been chosen 
president. So the appointment as minister to Prussia 
was made and accepted by the young diplomat. 




THE CITY OF WASHINGTON, 1800 



On arriving at Berlin the young minister was 
humiliated by being "questioned at the gates by 
a dapper lieutenant, who did not know, until one 
of the private soldiers explained to him, where the 
United States of America were." 

In February, 1803, Mr. Adams, who had returned 
to the United States less than two years earlier, 
was elected to the United States Senate from 



144 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

Massachusetts. At once he went to Washington, 
which was then " a raw and unattractive village in 
which there was not a church of any denomina- 
tion, church services being held on Sundays at the 
Treasury Office and the Capitol." 

He was not popular as a senator, either with 
his fellow senators or with the people of Massa- 
chusetts. This was partly due to the fact that he 
would not have his hands tied by the party which 
had elected him. He was accused of being "false, 
selfish, designing, a traitor, an apostate," but he 
kept on with his work until his successor was 
elected, doing what he thought was best. 

During the War of 1812 Mr. Adams was min- 
ister to Russia, and he was one of the commis- 
sioners who proposed the Treaty of Ghent, in 18 14, 
which concluded the war. Thus he had part in 
both our treaties of peace with England. 

After serving as minister to Great Britain, he 
became President Monroe's Secretary of State. 
While in office he arranged for the purchase of 
Florida from Spain, and worked out what has 
been known ever since as the Monroe Doctrine. 
This opposed the interference of European powers 
in the political affairs of the American colonists. 

As the sixth president of the United States he 
served faithfully, in spite of many obstacles. Soon 



JOHN QUINCY ADAMS 145 

after the close of his term he became a member of 
the United States House of Representatives from 
his district in Massachusetts. 

There were those who said it was beneath the 
dignity of one who had been president to serve in 




AN EARLY VIEW OF WASHINGTON 



this way, but he insisted that " no person could be 
degraded by serving the people as a representative 
in Congress." He added, " Nor in my opinion 
would an ex-president of the United States be de- 
graded by serving as a selectman in his town, if 
elected thereto by the people." 

Sixteen years later he fell insensible on the floor 
of the House. Just before he died, after two days' 



146 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

illness, he was heard to say, "It is the last of 
earth ; I am content." 

Mr. Adams has been called " one of the most 
lonely and desolate of the great men of his time." 
He did not have many of the qualities of heart 
that make a man a pleasing companion. Yet, 
to-day, he is honored as one of the greatest of 
American statesmen. 

References for Further Reading 

Morse, John T., Jr. John Quincy Adams. Houghton Mifflin Com- 
pany, Boston. 

Seward, William H. Life of John Quincy Adams. The John C. 
Winston Company, Philadelphia. 

Life in a New England Town. Diary of John Quincy Adams, 1787- 
I 788. Little, Brown and Company, Boston. 






I feel I am strange to all but the birds of America. 

John James Audubon 



1 



CHAPTER XI 

JOHN JAMES AUDUBON, NATURALIST 

(Born near New Orleans, Louisiana, May 4, 1780; died in New York 
City, January 27, 1851) 

John James Audubon's earliest recollections were 
of lying amid the flowers of Louisiana, breathing 
the fragrance of the orange trees and listening 
to the song of the mocking bird. 

Audubon was a mere lad when his father took 
his family to Nantes, in his native France. It 
was his plan that the boy should be educated there 
for life in the French navy. As a part of the 
training he was taught mathematics, geography, 
and fencing. He was also permitted to take draw- 
ing lessons from David, the great French artist. 

Under David's guidance he began to make draw- 
ings of objects of natural history. He secured 
specimens for copying by taking long tramps into 

the country about Nantes. He delighted to take 

147 



148 



MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 



a haversack of provisions and go out after birds 
and animals. The artist's lessons gave him a 
knowledge of the rudiments of drawing, but his 
own determined perseverance was responsible for 
his increasing success in making accurate repre- 
sentation of his feath- 
ered friends and even 
of the animals he en- 
countered in a forest 
ramble. 

When his father 
returned home after a 
long trip he decided 
that the boy was not 
working hard enough, 
so he saw to it that 
there were not so 
many chances for 
the expeditions into 
the country in which 
the boy took such great delight. 

When his education was complete, his father 
realized that he could not hope to make a sailor 
of him. As the next best thing, he sent him to 
America to manage the estate on Perkiomen Creek, 
near Philadelphia, in which Mr. Audubon had 
invested some years earlier. 




JOHN JAMES AUDUBON 



JOHN JAMES AUDUBON 



149 



But the nature lover paid little attention to 
the estate because he found so many new things 
to see as he wandered over the hills and valleys 
and through the forests. He hunted, he fished, and 
he made drawings of the birds he saw. Before long 




MILL GROVE, ON THE PERKIOMEN, NEAR PHILADELPHIA 



he decided to prepare a great work on American 
birds. This was not a mere whim. In spite of 
tremendous difficulties he persevered in his purpose 
until, after many years, it was accomplished so 
well that a famous bird lover called the work " the 
most gigantic biblical enterprise ever undertaken 
by a single individual." 



150 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

A friend who visited his house, Mill Grove, 
on the Perkiomen, during the early years of his 
residence there, said: 

I was astonished and delighted to find that it was turned 
into a museum. The walls were festooned with all sorts of 
birds' eggs, carefully blown out and strung on a thread. 
The chimney-piece was covered with stuffed squirrels, rac- 
coons and opossums ; and the shelves around were likewise 
crowded with fresh specimens, among which were fishes, 
frogs, snakes, lizards and other reptiles. Besides these 
stuffed varieties, many paintings were arranged upon the 
walls, chiefly of birds. 

When the young naturalist asked leave to marry 
the daughter of a neighbor, the father told him 
he must be, able to make a living. Audubon went 
to New York at once, and tried to become a 
business man. But his heart was not in his w^ork, 
and he failed. Then he sold the farm, bought goods 
with which he planned to trade in the West, 
married the young woman, and, with a partner, 
started for Louisville. 

The young people made their way overland to 
Pittsburgh. There the goods were loaded on a 
flatboat in which they were floated down the Ohio. 

The trading venture did not prove profitable, 
partly because times were hard, and partly because 
Audubon spent so much of his time in nature study. 



JOHN JAMES AUDUBON 



151 



When it was decided to go to Ste. Genevieve 
on the Mississippi, in the hope that business might 
prove better there, the goods remaining to the 
partners were loaded on a keel boat. 

The boat was new, stanch, and strong, and 
had a cabin in her bow. A long steering oar, 
made of the trunk of a slender tree, about sixty 
feet in length, and shaped at its outer extremity 
like the fin of a 
dolphin, helped to 
steer the boat, 
while the four 
oars from the 
bow impelled her 
along, when the 

course was with floating down the oh 10 on a flatboat 
the current, at the 

quite satisfactory rate of about five miles an hour. 
A brief experience in the French town on the 
Mississippi disgusted Audubon, and he sold to his 
partner his interest in the trading venture. Then, 
on horseback, he started overland to Henderson- 
ville, Kentucky, where he had left his wife. During 
the journey he had a narrow escape from death 
at the hands of an old woman with w^hom he 
lodged. The sight of his gold watch proved too 
much for her, and she plotted wdth her son to 




152 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

kill him as he slept. He overheard the plan, and 
was just ready to spring up to defend himself when 
two travelers entered the house. Audubon told his 
story, and the mother and her son were secured. 

Not long after his return to Kentucky, in 
November, 1812, came the series of earthquake 
shocks which changed the course of the river and 
caused terror to the scattered settlers along the 
Mississippi. 

During the next few years he toiled to support 
his family by business ventures, but every time he 
failed. Once the reason for failure was that he 
was more interested in hunting than in business. 
At other times men took advantage of his igno- 
rance. Finally he had nothing left but his gun, 
his dog, and his drawings. But he began to make 
portraits of the settlers, and before long he had 
a good income. 

He did not lose sight at any time of his dream 
of studying the birds in the forests. Whenever he 
had a chance he wandered into the wilderness to 
gather specimens, from which he made drawings. 
On one of these trips he met Daniel Boone. 

His ability to draw and his love for birds brought 
him an appointment to take charge of the museum 
in Cincinnati. There he remained until the work 
for which he had been appointed was finished. 



JOHN JAMES AUDUBON 1 53 

In 1820 he set out from Cincinnati on a flat- 
boat, intending to make a tour of the South in 
search of specimens. He wanted to make one 
hundred drawings of birds before he returned to 
Cincinnati. 

While on this trip he was many times in want, 
but he was always generous. One day, in Natchez, 
the condition of a man without shoes appealed 
to him, perhaps because he needed shoes himself. 
Audubon called on a shoemaker, told of his need 
of two pairs of shoes, and offered to paint the 
portraits of the shoemaker and his wife in ex- 
change for the two pairs of shoes. The portraits 
were painted in two hours, and the payment 
was made. 

When he reached New Orleans he had a little 
money, but this was stolen. He tried in vain to 
get work, for his own support and to send money 
to his wife and children. Even in the time of 
greatest poverty, however, he continued to go to 
the woods that he might add to his specimens 
and his drawings. 

Life became a little easier when he was asked 
to spend half his time teaching the daughters of 
a planter near New Orleans. The other half of 
his time he spent in hunting and studying in the 
woods and the fields. 



154 



MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 



When he returned to New Orleans, he was able 
to send a draft to his wife. He was glad to write 
in his journal that he had managed to live for a 

year on his earn- 
ings. During the 
first year after 
leaving Cincinnati 
he finished sixty- 
two drawings of 
birds and plants, 
three of quadru- 
peds, two of snakes, 
and fifty portraits. 
Friends found 
fault with him be- 
cause he contin- 
ued his wandering 
life. They thought 
he amounted to 
nothing and that 
for the sake of his 
family he ought 
to settle down. But he was willing that they should 
think of him as a madman, so long as his wife 
and family encouraged him. He had tried to make 
a home for them in New Orleans, but work was 
scarce and Mrs. Audubon had to teach in the 




MEADOW STARLINGS, OR MEADOW LARKS 
From the drawing by Audubon 



JOHN JAMES AUDUBON 155 

home of a friend to support herself. Once he was 
not able to write his journal for two weeks because 
he did not have sufhcient money to buy even a 
blank book. 

Feeling that he could not complete his book of 
birds without the assistance of subscribers, he de- 
cided to leave his family in the South and go to 
Philadelphia. Six months were required for the 
journey. 

The stay in the East was a disappointment. 
Artists admired his drawings, but he did not see 
how he was to get them published. After five 
months he was so badly discouraged that he told 
of his fear that he should die unknown. " I feel I 
am strange to all but the birds of America," he 
said. ''In a few days I shall be in the woods and 
quite forgotten." 

The next day he felt better and decided to stay 
in the East a little longer. Perhaps in Boston he 
would be successful, he thought. But money be- 
came scarce on the way, and he made up his mind 
to go back to Louisiana by way of Niagara Falls. 
For seven dollars he bought a ticket on a canal 
boat from Albany to Rochester, two hundred and 
sixty-eight miles. The trip took six days. As he 
traveled he was able to add drawings of several 
new birds to his collection. 



156 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

A day was spent at the Falls and on the river 
banks. Of the end of the day he wrote in his 
journal : 

I afterwards strolled through the village to find some 
bread and milk, and ate a good dinner for twelve cents. 
Went to bed at night thinking of Franklin eating his 
roll in the streets of Philadelphia, of Goldsmith traveling 
by the help of his musical powers, and of other gentle- 
men who had worked their way through great hardships 
and difficulties to fame, and I fell asleep, hoping, by 
persevering industry, to make a name for myself among 
my countrymen. 

From Pittsburgh to Cincinnati he made the 
journey in a skiff. He traveled by day and at 
night drew the boat on the bank and slept in it. 
From Cincinnati to Louisville he took deck passage 
on a boat, sleeping at night on a pile of shavings. 

The last stage of the trip to Bayou Sara was 
completed, and he arrived " with rent and wretched 
clothes and uncut hair, and altogether looking 
like the Wandering Jew." 

In April, 1826, the naturalist left Bayou Sara 
for Europe, where he hoped to interest lovers of 
art and nature who would help him to publish 
his book. His wife, who was earning three thou- 
sand dollars a year, asked to help pay the expenses 
of the journey. 



JOHN JAMES AUDUBON 



157 



In England he was so well received that he was 
able to plan to publish the bird plates, with descrip- 
tive matter, at ;f 1000 per set. As the expense would 
be $100,000 in all, 
he had to have 
advance subscrib- 
ers before he could 
proceed with the 
work. These sub- 
scribers he sought 
and found himself. 
Sometimes he was 
disappointed but 
usually he was 
successful. 

While arrange- 
ments were being 
made for the pub- 
lication, Audubon 
supported himself 
by giving exhibi- 
tions and by doing work in paint and oils for customers. 

Once he had only a sovereign left in his pocket, and did 
not know of a single individual to whom he could apply to 
borrow another. When he was on the verge of failure, in 
the very beginning of his undertaking, he extricated himself 
from his difficulties by rising at five o'clock in the morning. 




AUDUBON'S WOODPECKER 



158 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

working hard all day, and disposing of his work at a price 
which a common laborer would have thought little more 
than sufficient remuneration for his work. 

In the four years required to bring out the 
first volume, fifty of his subscribers, representing 
the sum of #50,000, abandoned him. He was 
forced to go in search of others to take their place. 

Finally the work was finished, and fame came 
to the patient toiler w4io had borne untold hard- 
ships because he felt that he must give his work 
to the world. 

For some years he continued the study of the 
birds in the forest. In 1839 he retired with his 
family to a home in New York City, where he 
spent the last twelve years of his life in peace 
and prosperity. 

Reference for Further Reading 

Life of J. J. Audubon. Edited by Mrs. Audubon. George P. Putnam's 
Sons, New York. 






I mean to use my tongue in the courts, not my pen ; 
to be an actor, not the register of other men's actions. 

Daniel Webster 



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CHAPTER XII 

DANIEL WEBSTER, ORATOR AND STATESMAN 

(Born in Salisbury, New Hampshire, January i8, 1782 ; died in Marsh- 
field, Massachusetts, October 24, 1852) 

In childhood Daniel Webster was frail. Friends 
said he would not live. But his devoted father 
and mother spared no effort to help him to grow 
strong and well. While others worked, they 
encouraged him to roam in the woods and by 
the streams of the region about the home farm, 
which was " nearer to the North Star than any 
other of the New England settlements." These 
were Webster's own words, spoken many years 
later. The Indians were not far away, and the 
day of sudden alarms had not passed. Only seven 
years before Daniel's birth the savages killed the 
wife of the man who owned the farm at that time. 
Frequently Daniel played about the remains of 
the stockade built for defense against Indians. 

159 



l6o MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

As Daniel became stronger he had his part in 
the tasks about the tavern which his father opened 
for the accommodation of passing teamsters. One 
of the events of his later life which he took 
pleasure in telling was the greeting of one who 
heard him deliver a political speech in Ohio : 
"Is this the little black Dan that used to water 
the horses ? " 

Ezekiel Webster, Daniel's father, longed to give 
to his children the education which had been denied 
him. For years he did not see the way to do 
this. But when Daniel was nine years old there 
was a turn in the father's fortunes ; he was made 
judge of the local court, at a salary of three or 
four hundred dollars a year. This seemed like a 
fortune to the New Hampshire family. Mr. and 
Mrs. Webster had many talks about what they 
would do with the money. Among other things 
they decided to give Daniel a better education 
than the neighborhood school could provide. 

Accordingly, in 1796, the boy was sent to 
Phillips Academy at Exeter, Massachusetts. At 
first he was not well received by his mates on 
account of his appearance ; but it was not long 
before he won his way to a position of leadership. 
One by one obstacles were overcome. Of one of 
these obstacles he himself told : 




Courtesy of the Prang Co. 



DANIEL WEBSTER 



l6l 



1 62 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

I could not speak before the school. . . . Many a piece 
did I commit to memory, and recite and rehearse in my 
own room over and over again, yet, when the day came 
when the school collected to hear declamations, when my 
name was called, and I saw all eyes turned to my seat, 
I could not raise myself from it. . . . When the occasion 
was over, I went home and wept bitter tears of mortification. 

He would not give up. He persisted in his 
attempts till he finally conquered his timidity, 
and was able not only to speak what he had 
learned but also to think upon his feet. This 
ease did not come all at once ; it was not until 
he was in college that he felt even reasonably at 
home before an audience. 

After nine months at the academy he taught 
school for a time before continuing his studies 
with a minister at Boscawen, six miles from his 
home. While his father was driving him to Bos- 
cawen a wonderful bit of information was given 
him: he was to go to Dartmouth College. In the 
story of his life, he said : 

I remember the very hill which we were ascending, 
through deep snow, in a New England sleigh, when my 
father made known his purpose to me. I could not speak. 
How could he, I thought, with so large a family, and in 
such narrow circumstances, think of incurring so great an 
expense for me } A warm glow ran all over me, and I 
laid my head on my father's shoulder and wept. 



DANIEL WEBSTER 1 63 

Probably the knowledge that his parents had 
to mortgage the farm to secure funds for his 
education spurred him to great exertions. He 
studied hard, and, in August, 1797, when he was 
fifteen years old, he was ready to begin his fresh- 
man year at Dartmouth. In Webster's day many 
students entered college at an age even earlier. 

The journey to Hanover, New Hampshire, was 
made on horseback. His feather bed and bedding, 
as well as his books and clothes, were carried by 
the patient animal. 

At college he soon became known as a reader 
who could not be satisfied. Cervantes, Milton, and 
Shakespeare were among his favorite authors. 
He became famous also as an extemporaneous 
speaker, but his ease in speaking was acquired 
only at cost of severe toil. One of his class- 
mates said : 

He was accustomed to arrange his thoughts in his 
mind in his room or his private walks, and to put them 
upon paper just before the exercise was called for. When 
he was required to speak at two o'clock, he would fre- 
quently begin to write after dinner, and, when the bell 
rang, he would fold his paper, put it in his pocket, and 
go in and speak with great ease. 

His method of study and reading, as he 
described it, was just as painstaking. 



1 64 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

Many other students read more than I did and knew 
more than I did. But so much as I read I made my 
own. When a half hour, or an hour at most, had elapsed, 
I closed my book and thought over what I had read. If 
there was anything peculiarly interesting or striking in the 
passage, I endeavored to recall it and lay it upon my 
memory. . . . Then if, in debate or conversation afterwards, 
any subject came up on which I had read something, I 
could talk very easily so far as I had read, and then I was 
very careful to stop. 

All this time the student for whom loving 
parents were sacrificing daily was thinking of his 
brother Ezekiel. The two had always been chums. 
Ezekiel had ever shown himself ready to do what 
he could for Daniel's happiness, and Daniel, in 
his turn, longed to help him. He thought the 
best thing he could do for his brother was to 
give him an education. 

Yet it had been decided when Daniel went to 
school that Ezekiel was to be his father's right-hand 
man at home. Mr. Webster was becoming old, his 
health w^as poor, there were two dependent sisters, 
and the family income was small. So when Daniel 
told his father of his hope that Ezekiel might go to 
academy and college, he promised to relieve the 
home pocketbook by teaching school. 

Soon after Ezekiel began his studies at the acad- 
emy, he wrote to Daniel that he was sure he could 



DANIEL WEBSTER 1 65 

not succeed. But the younger brother, who would 
never own that Ezekiel was his inferior, repHed : 

In the future say in your letters to me, '' I am superior 
to you in natural endowments ; I will know more in one 
year than you do now, and in six than you ever will," . . . 
but be assured, as mighty as you are, your great puissance 
shall never insure you a victory without a contest. 

Daniel's words proved a spur to the backward 
brother. He became a lawyer of some note in his 
own state, and was for many years a member of 
the legislature. 

Before the days of pleas in court could come 
there were rough roads for both boys. During 
Daniel's junior year he edited The Dartmouth 
Gazette, and so earned his board. During the winter 
he taught school and paid his brother's final bills 
for his college preparation. Mr. Webster, referring 
to those days, often spoke of how his brother and 
he, having, so to speak, but one horse between them, 
" rode and tied " (the New England expression 
meaning that they alternately rode and walked). 

At first Ezekiel rode and Daniel walked. After 
his graduation Daniel paused in his professional 
studies, begun in a law office near home, and took 
charge of an academy at Fryeburg, in what is now 
the state of Maine. That his salary might be saved 



1 66 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

for Ezekiel, he secured work as a copyist of deeds. 
In telling of that winter, he said: 

Four evenings in a week earned two dollars, and two 
dollars in a week paid my board. . . . The ache is not yet 
out of my fingers, for nothing has ever been so laborious 
to me as writing, when under the necessity of writing a 
good hand. 

The day came when Ezekiel and Daniel walked 
together. It became necessary for the older brother 
to teach school to relieve the financial situation at 
home. Daniel, then in the office of a country law- 
yer, longed to go to Boston, but he did not see 
his way to keep himself in the city until Ezekiel 
wrote him that in his Boston school there was 
need of a man to teach Latin and Greek for an 
hour and a half a day. Board would be given for 
his services. Daniel applied for and secured the 
position. He promptly sought the office of a leader 
at the bar and, with some difficulty, secured a clerk- 
ship. This was a splendid opening for an ambitious 
student. 

A temptation came when, in 1804, he was offered 
the clerkship of a New Hampshire court, of which 
his father was one of the judges, at a salary of fifteen 
hundred dollars a year. His father, who notified 
him of the appointment, seemed to take it for 
granted that he would accept. Acceptance would 



DANIEL WEBSTER 1 67 

mean present ease and comfort for himself and 
for the entire family. To Daniel's surprise his 
employer urged him to decline, saying: 

Go and finish your studies. You are poor enough, but 
there are greater evils than poverty ; live on no man's 
favor ; what bread you do eat, let it be the bread of inde- 
pendence ; pursue your profession, make yourself useful to 
your friends, and a little formidable to your enemies, and 
you have nothing to fear. 

" Here vv^as present comfort, competency, and, I 
may even say, riches, as I then viev^ed things, all 
ready to be enjoyed, and I was called upon to 
reject them for the uncertain and distant prospect 
of success," Webster said when looking back on 
this period. In the end he did not regret his rejec- 
tion of the clerkship, for in less than twenty years 
he was famous and was earning twenty thousand 
dollars a year — a large income for his day. 

Filial affection made the giving up of the clerk- 
ship a difficult matter. When he announced his 
determination his father said : " Well, my son, your 
mother has always said you would come to something 
or nothing, she was not sure which ; and I think you 
are now about settling that doubt of hers. " 

Desiring to do what he could for the family, he 
borrowed three hundred dollars and paid some 
pressing bills which were worrying his parents. 



1 68 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

Thus he revealed both his thoughtful affection and 
that carelessness of financial obligations for which 
he soon became known. He was always borrowing, 
and he was always in straits for money. 

On his admission to the bar he returned home 
and began practicing in his father's court. From 
the first he attracted attention. A lawyer then 
famous said of him, "He broke upon me like a 
thunder shower in July, sudden, portentous, sweep- 
ing all before it." 

His home town could not hold him. After his 
father's death and Ezekiel's admission to the bar 
the home practice and the care of the mother and 
sisters were given over to the older brother, while 
Daniel assumed his father's debts and removed to 
Portsmouth, New Hampshire. In 1813 his service 
in Congress began. Those who proposed to keep 
him from prominence because he was a newcomer 
were compelled to give way before the force of 
his personality and his oratory. Soon he became 
famous. In Congress and in court his words were 
listened to with delight by his friends and with 
fear by his opponents. 

His most famous oration was delivered in 1830, 
during the course of what became known as The 
Great Debate, on the system of opening up to settle- 
ment the lands of the great West. Some urged 



DANIEL WEBSTER 



169 



that these lands should be sold in such a way as 
to bring a revenue to the government ; others, 
among these being Senator Hayne of South Caro- 
lina, argued that sales should be made at figures 
that would bring to the government little return. 







AN EARLY STEAM LOCOMOTIVE 



The question seemed simple enough, but back of it 
lay a number of the greatest problems that con- 
fronted the country for many years. There were 
those who feared that the settlement of the West 
might extend slave territory, and there were others 
who feared that the result might be the extension 
of free soil. Then Hayne argued that the sale of 



170 



MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 



the public lands at the price of ^1.25 per acre would 
fill the United States Treasury with a great fund 
which would be a terrible weapon in the hands of 
Congress and the President to control the states. 




OLD RAILROAD COACH USED BETWEEN BOSTON AND PROVIDENCE 

IN 1840 

For the sake of state rights the lands should not 
produce large revenue. 

Webster saw the menace of Hayne's argument. 
He could not have replied to him with greater vigor 
if he had been able to foresee the awful results of 
the argument for state rights, only thirty years later, 
when the Southern states seceded from the Union. 

With all his might he opposed the plea that the 



DANIEL WEBSTER 



171 



safety of American institutions lay in the strengthen- 
ing of the states against the central government ; he 
declared that the nation's prosperity, felicity, safety, 
perhaps its existence, depended on the consolidation 
of the Union. He insisted that a public improvement 
that was for the benefit of Ohio was for the benefit 
of South Carolina 
as well, and that 
any project that 
helped South Car- 
olina helped Ohio 
also, because the 
states formed a 
part of the great 
Union and their 
interests were one. 

In closing his second reply to Hayne, perhaps 
the greatest speech of his life, Webster spoke the 
words that have been echoed by tens of thousands 
of schoolboys : 

When my eyes shall be turned to behold, for the last 
time, the sun in heaven, may I not see him shining on the 
broken and dishonored fragments of a once glorious Union ; 
on states dissevered, discordant, belligerent, on a land rent 
with civil feuds, or drenched, it may be, in fraternal blood. 
Let their last feeble and lingering glance rather behold the 
gorgeous ensign of the Republic now known and honored 
throughout the earth ; still full, high, advanced, its arms 




THE UNITED STATES CAPITOL IN 1850 



172 



MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 



and trophies streaming in their Original lustre, not a stripe 
erased nor polluted, not a single star obscured, bearing for 
its motto no such miserable interrogatory as '' What is all 
this worth ? ' ' Nor those other words of folly and delusion, 
" Liberty first and Union afterwards " ; but everywhere, 
spread all over in characters of living light, blazing on all its 
ample folds as they float over the sea and over the land, and 
in every wind under the whole heavens that other sentiment 
dear to every American heart, '' Liberty and Union, now 
and forever, one and inseparable." 

Webster's public service v^as varied. As congress- 
man, senator, and secretary of state he proved a 
sagacious counselor. Three times he was a candi- 
date for president, but that office was denied him. 
This disappointment must have been in his mind 
when he said, in 1852, the year of his death : " I have 
given my life to law and politics. Law is uncertain, 
and politics are utterly vain. " 

The political mistakes and failures of his later 
years cannot dim his fame. His friends wept over 
his failings, but they rejoiced in the privilege of 
calling friend the man of power, now known as one 
of the greatest statesmen America has produced. 

References for Further Reading 

Fisher, Sidney George. The True Daniel Webster. J. B. Lippin- 

cott Company, Philadelphia. 
Tefft, Benjamin. Life of Daniel Webster. The John C. Winston 

Company, Philadelphia. 



ZZZl 



I can knock together a locomotive that will get a train 
around the Point of Rocks. 

Peter Cooper 



CHAPTER XIII 

PETER COOPER, FRIEND OF BOYS 

(Born in New York City, February 12, 1791 ; died in New York City, 
April 4, 1883) 

Peter Cooper's parents were ambitious for their 
son. He was born when the American repubHc was 
young, and they hoped the day would come when 
he would do something worth while for his country. 

The father was poor, and, as soon as possible, the 
members of his large family were expected to add 
to the income. Peter's head was just above the 
table when he began to assist his father, who was 
a hatter, by pulling the hair out of rabbit skins. 
As he became older he thoroughly learned all other 
details of the hat-making trade. Later he was his 
father's assistant in a brickyard at Catskill ; there it 
was his task to carry the unbaked brick to the kilns. 

After the day's work was done the active boy 
found useful things to do about the house. His 

173 



174 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

first invention, a device for pounding linen, was in- 
spired by the sight of his mother doing the family 
washing. Of another bit of work he told himself, 
in his autobiography: 

I remember one of the earliest things I undertook, of my 
own accord, was to make a pair of shoes. For this purpose 
I first obtained an old pair, and took them all apart to see 
the structure, and then, procuring leather, thread and needles, 
and some suitable tools, without further instruction I made 
the last and a pair of shoes which compared very well with 
the country shoes then in vogue. 

There were no night schools in New York in 
those days, yet the boy felt that he must have an 
education. He did not even have the advice of a 
friend who was interested in his progress. Night 
after night he read and studied by the light of a 
tallow candle. And while he studied, his life pur- 
pose was formed : some day he would make it easy 
for boys to secure an education after working hours. 

When he was seventeen years old he was appren- 
ticed for four years to a coach-maker. During this 
period he was to receive twenty-five dollars a year 
and board. To this small income he added by 
night work at coach-carving, in a room on Broad- 
way which his grandmother set apart for his use. 

He did not reserve his best efforts for the eve- 
ning, but worked diligently in the shop. During 



PETER COOPER 



175 



his apprenticeship he invented a machine for mor- 
tising hubs, the first of its kind. This became the 
property of his employer. In gratitude for this 
service the master offered to advance the money 
needed to give him an independent start as a 
coach-maker. The 
offer was decHned, 
however, because 
the young man 
did not wish to 
run in debt. 

Debt had been 
the cause of many 
sorrows in his own 
home, and some 
of the first capital 
he was able to put 
aside after he was 
twenty-one he de- 
voted to paying 
the most pressing of his father's obligations. After 
working three years as an assistant in the manu- 
facture of machines for shearing cloth, at wages 
of one dollar and a half a day, he had saved enough 
to buy the right to manufacture the machines 
for sale in New York state. He sold the first 
machine for four hundred dollars and applied the 




PETER COOPER 



176 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

amount to his father's reUef. Then he began at 
the bottom once more. 

Added to his dread of debt was an aversion to 
any means of getting hold of money except by the 
toil of his hands and his brain. This aversion was 
due to a lesson impressed upon his mind when he 
was thirteen, and in the following manner: 

I had earned about ten dollars beyond my immediate 
wants, which I invested by the advice of a relative in lottery 
tickets, all which, fortunately for me, drew blanks. This 
impressed upon me the folly of looking to games of chance 
for any source of gain or livelihood. 

The demand for cloth-shearing machines fell off 
after the War of 181 2, when imported woolens took 
the place of domestic weaves, and Cooper had to 
find other means of making a living. As a grocer 
in New York City he saved enough to buy the 
glue factory w^hich he retained to the end of his 
life. This business became profitable because for 
a number of years he w^as ready to do the work 
of several men. He would go to the factory early 
and light the fire ; he was his own city salesman, 
and in the evenings at home he kept the books, 
wrote business letters, and planned for the business 
so well that he could afterwards write : 

I do not remember the week or month when every man 
who worked for me did not get his pay when it was due. 



PETER COOPER I 77 

This is strictly true, through a business Ufe of more than 
sixty years, in which I have had as many as twenty-five 
hundred people in my employment. 

While at home he was not too busy to help 
Mrs. Cooper. His inventive genius was brought to 
bear on household affairs : 

I found it necessary to rock the cradle while my wife 
prepared our frugal meals. This was not always convenient 
in my busy life, and I conceived the idea of making a 
cradle that would be able to rock by a mechanism. I did so, 
and enlarging upon my first idea, I arranged a mechanism 
for keeping off the flies, and playing a music box for the 
amusement of the baby. 

His active mind was always at work on problems 
whose solution would benefit the public. For in- 
stance, a year before the water was let into the Erie 
Canal, he thought of a method of propelling canal 
boats by the force of water drawn from a higher 
level and made to move a series of endless chains 
along the canal. The plan was proved practicable 
by means of a test apparatus built largely by him- 
self on a section of the East River fiats. Governor 
Clinton, convinced of the value of the proposed 
arrangement, paid eight hundred dollars for the 
right to use it on the Erie Canal, but he was not 
able to take advantage of his purchase because the 
farmers refused to give the right of way unless the 



178 



MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 



promise was given that horses should be used. 
To them the chief advantage was the fact that 
horses must eat the grain that they had for sale. 
Later, use was made of the invention on the 
Camden and Amboy Canal and as the basis of the 
Belgian system of canal and river transportation. 




THE FIRST RAILWAY CAR IN WASHINGTON 



By frugality and good management Mr. Cooper 
was able to save enough money to buy, in 1828, 
three thousand acres of land in Baltimore. Here 
he erected the Canton Iron Works. 

The property was retained long enough for the 
owner to become deeply interested in the fortunes 
of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad, one of the 
earliest railroad enterprises in the country. For a 
time cars were drawn by horses, but the expense 
proved too great. The proposal was made to use 



PETER COOPER I 79 

steam engines instead, but sharp curves in the Hne 
promised to make the ordinary locomotive ineffec- 
tive. EngHsh engineers had declared that a loco- 
motive could not be used on a curve whose radius 
was less than nine hundred feet, yet on the Balti- 
more and Ohio road there were curves whose radius 
was only one hundred and fifty feet. 

There was great depression in Baltimore because 
of the fear that the large investments made by 
the city in the railroad would- be lost. No one 
thought that the problem presented by the short 
curves could be solved and the road enabled to 
pay dividends. 

Peter Cooper's large investments in Baltimore 
had led him to take deep interest in the difificul- 
ties of the road. While he was wondering what he 
could do to help matters, he recalled an invention 
he had made in 1828 for which he had received 
a patent. The idea was to give to an engine a 
rotary motion from the alternate rectilinear motion 
of a steam piston. But the invention was not ap- 
preciated at the time, and was laid aside. Now he 
told the directors of the railroad that he "could 
knock together a locomotive which would get a 
train around the Point of Rocks." In fulfillment of 
his promise he built the Tom Thumb locomotive, 
using bits of scrap brass and iron. 



i8o 



MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 



A trial trip was made. A party of six rode on 
the engine and thirty-six rode on the car attached 
to it. An average grade of eighteen feet to the 
mile was overcome, and a distance of thirteen miles 
was made in seventy-tw^o minutes. Encouraged, the 
directors decided to adopt steam for the road. 

The problem of going around sharp curves was 
not completely solved till the bogie truck was 

substituted for the 
rigid frame ; but 
this improvement 
came in due season. 
In the meantime 
discouraged inves- 
tors were cheered. 
The quiet boast of 
the builder of the 
Tom Thumb, " My contrivance saved the road from 
bankruptcy," was not without justification. At any 
rate, he had built one of the first American loco- 
motives. 

Cooper's most serious work was done in man- 
aging his iron mills in New York City, Phillipsburg, 
and Trenton. In connection with these his inven- 
tive genius found still further expression. He de- 
vised a system for carrying coal a distance of three 
miles from the mine to the furnaces by means of 




THE FIRST TRIP OF THE TOM THUMB 
From an old print 



PETER COOPER l8l 

an aerial cable system, similar to that used to-day. 
In one of his mills, in 1854, he spent seventy-five 
thousand dollars in making the first iron beams for 
use in building operations. In 1879 the Iron and 
Steel Institute of Great Britain conferred upon him 
the Bessemer Gold Medal for his services in the 
development of the American iron trade. It is also 
worthy of note that he foresaw the need of some 
substitute for stairways in large buildings ; in build- 
ing Cooper Union he made provision for its equip- 
ment with elevators. 

When, in 1854, the New York, Newfoundland, 
and London Telegraph Company was organized, 
Mr. Cooper became its president. Through all the 
years of discouragement before the first Atlantic 
cable was successfully laid, he stood loyally by 
Cyrus Field, furnishing money freely as it was 
needed. 

While thus occupied by business cares, he found 
time for his duties as a citizen. As early as 1828, 
when he was assistant alderman in New York City, 
he began to urge the substitution of a modern sys- 
tem of waterworks for the antiquated hollow log 
pipes supplied by springs. He was made chairman 
of the water committee at the time of the comple- 
tion of the Croton system. He was also actively 
interested in the establishment of the organized 



1 82 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

police and fire service. In 1S38 he became a trustee 
of the Free School Society, which, until 1853, had 
entire control of the public schools of the city. 
For two years he was vice president of the new 
Board of Education. He was long president of 
the Citizens' Association, the forerunner of many 
organizations of citizens in their battle for good 
government. 

But he had not lost sight of his hope to found 
an institution for the education of apprentices. The 
apprentice system had been displaced, but he felt 
that young people still needed the school he had 
in mind. Lot after lot was purchased as a part of 
the site of the building he proposed to erect, and, 
in 1854, he had an entire city block at his dis- 
posal. On this he began to build a substantial 
six-story structure. The initial investment was 
$630,000. Later he was able to add $200,000 for 
endowment. 

The donor desired to call the school simply The 
Union for the Advancement of Science and Art, 
but the legislature insisted on naming it the Cooper 
Union. He felt that this addition was unfortunate; 
he saw that the Union would need millions of en- 
dowment which he could not supply and that givers 
were not apt to be attracted by an institution that 
bore the name of the founder. Fortunately his fears 



PETER COOPER 1 83 

proved groundless ; in recent years large gifts have 
been made to the Union, so that it has been pos- 
sible to enlarge the purposes of the foundation. 

During the years since 1859, when the building 
was completed, the Union has given to thousands, 
of all classes, creeds, and races, opportunities for 
education which would otherwise have been denied 
them. The purpose of the founder was "to open 
the volume of Nature by the light of truth — so 
unveiling the laws and methods of Deity that the 
young may see the beauties of creation, enjoy its 
blessings, and learn to love the Being 'from whom 
cometh every good and perfect gift.' " 

Soon the great reading room was daily used by 
from fifteen hundred to two thousand people. In 
the lecture rooms large audiences gathered to hear 
famous speakers. A complete four years' course 
was instituted, while it was possible for students to 
enroll in separate classes. 

At a meeting of friends who had gathered in 
his home to celebrate his ninety-first birthday 
Mr. Cooper said : 

I can see that my career has been divided into three eras. 
During the first thirty years I was engaged in getting a 
start in Ufe ; during the second thirty years I was occupied 
in getting means for carrying out the modest plan which 
T had long planned for the benefit of my fellow men, and 



1 84 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

during the last thirty years I have devoted myself to the 
execution of this plan. The work is now done. 

When he died, at the age of ninety-two, the city 
mourned as it had not mourned since the funeral 
of George Washington. 

References for Further Reading 

Hubbard, Elbert. Little Journeys to the Homes of Great Business 

Men. Roycrofters, East Aurora, New York. 
Raymond, R. W. Peter Cooper. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston. 
Autobiography. Old South Leaflets, Vol. VI, No. 147. 






The lightning will scarcely be too fast. 

Samuel F. B. Morse 






CHAPTER XIV 

SAMUEL F. B. MORSE, INVENTOR OF THE 
TELEGRAPH 

(Born in Charlestown, Massachusetts, April 27, 1791 ; died in 
New York City, April 2, 1872) 

Samuel Finley Breese Morse was only four years 
old when he gave the first indication of the taste 
that promised for many years to be the ruling pas- 
sion of his life. While attending a school near his 
home kept by an old lady who could not leave her 
chair, he scratched her likeness with a pin on the 
highly polished surface of a chest of drawers. For 
punishment the future artist was pinned to the 
dress of the schoolmistress. 

Three years later he was sent to a school at 
Andover, Massachusetts, that he might prepare to 
enter Phillips Academy. The first letter he sent 
home after the beginning of his life at Andover 

has been preserved : 

185 



1 86 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

Dear Papa, — I hope you are well I will thank you if 
you will Send me up Some quils Give my love to mama 
and NANCY and my little brothers pleas to kis them for 
me and send me up Some very good paper to write to you. 

I have as many blackberries as I want I go and pick 

^ ' Samuel Finley Breese Morse, 

Your Son 

He u^as a student at the academy when his father 
sent him a letter that showed how far the boy must 
have advanced since the days when he had written 
home about " quils " and " blackberries " : 

Charlestown, February 21, 180 1 
My dear Son : — You do not write me as often as you 
ought. In your next you must assign some reason for this 
neglect. Possibly I have not received all your letters. Noth- 
ing will improve you so much in epistolary writing as prac- 
tice. Take great pains with your letters. Avoid vulgar 
phrases. Pay attention to your spelling, pointing, the use 
of capitals, and to your handwriting. . . . 

. . . Attend to one thing at a time. It is impossible to 
do two things at the same time, and I would, therefore, 
never have you attempt it. Never undertake to do w^hat 
ought not to be done, and then, whatever you undertake, 
endeavor to do it in the best manner. . . . 

Your affectionate parent, 

J. Morse 

'Finley, as the boy was called, was a thought- 
ful student. He went over his required lessons 



SAMUEL F. B. MORSE 



187 



faithfully, and he was eager to read helpful books 
that were not required. He was especially fond 
of Plutarch's " Lives." At the age of thirteen 
he sent to his father a paper he had prepared 
on "The Life of 
Demosthenes." 

A letter written 
to his parents 
when he was six- 
teen, just after he 
had entered Yale 
College, told of 
books of travel 
and history in 
which he de- 
lighted. But it 
is good to note 
that Finley knew 
how to join with 
his companions in 

their sports. The letter that described his reading 
told also of a mock trial in which he had taken part : 

The college cooks were arraigned before the tribunal of 
the students, consisting of a committee of four from each 
class in college ; I was chosen as one of the committee from 
the Sophomore class. We sent for two of the worst cooks, 
and were all Saturday afternoon trying them ; found them 




SAMUEL F. B. MORSE 



1 88 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

guilty of several charges, such as being insolent to the stu- 
dents, not exerting themselves to cook clean for us, in con- 
cealing pies which belonged to the students, having supper 
at midnight and inviting all their neighbors and friends to 
sup with them at the expense of the students. 

The findings of the student court were brought 
to the attention of the president. One of the cooks 
was dismissed, while two were put on probation. 

At college Finley's favorite studies were electric- 
ity and chemistry. Many times he wrote home of 
his interest in the classroom experiments made by 
his instructors. 

The experiments in electricity especially made 
a deep impression on him ; he could recall them 
vividly for many years. Later he said of one of 
these : 

The fact that the presence of electricity can be made 
visible in any desired part of the circuit was the crude seed 
which took root in my mind, and grew up into form, and 
ripened into the invention of the telegraph. 

Of other experiments he wrote, during his junior 
year: 

I am very much pleased with chemistry. It is very amus- 
ing, as well as instructive. There are many very beautiful 
and surprising experiments performed, which are likewise 
very useful. I intend, with your leave, getting in " a chem- 
ical trough," and small apparatus when I come home. . . . 
You will find our experiments very entertaining. There 



SAMUEL F. B. MORSE 1 89 

will be a number of articles which we shall want, which we 
shall be obliged to get here, on account of their being 
obtained here cheaper, such as gun-barrels, retorts, etc. the 
use of which I will explain to you hereafter. 

Perhaps it was a classroom experiment that sug- 
gested to Morse and his brothers, Sidney, a junior, 
and Richard, a sophomore, the bit of sport of 
which a classmate wrote in 1872, sixty-three years 
after the event : 

What remains most vividly in my memory is the balloon 
which they constructed of letter paper. . . . This balloon 
was eighteen feet in length, was suspended from the tower 
of the Lyceum of Yale College, inflated with rarefied air, 
and sent aloft with its blazing tail, rising most gloriously 
till it vanished in the distance. 

Other things besides study and sport occupied 
the student. His father, a country minister, was 
poor, and the expense of keeping three sons in 
college was large, even in that early day. So Finley 
was glad to do what he could to lighten the burden. 
Fellow students noted his skill with the brush and 
asked him to paint their miniatures on ivory. The 
work was crude, for the young artist had been 
given no instruction, but the fellows were satisfied. 
Other early work that showed genius was the crude 
drawing on the walls of his college room, represent- 
ing "Freshmen Climbing the Hill of Science," and 



I90 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

his first group picture. In this his father was rep- 
resented as standing by the side of a library table, 
while the sons and their mother were about him, 
evidently listening to a lecture on geography. 

When he was graduated from college, in 1810, 
he was eager to become the pupil of Washington 
Allston, the great artist, but when his parents 
thought he ought to go into a Boston bookstore 
and earn money, he did as he was asked. He did 
his best to earn his salary of four hundred dollars 
a year, but his heart was not in his work. The 
only hours of the day he really enjoyed were spent 
in the room over his employer's kitchen, where he 
had his paints, brushes, and easel. 

Early in 181 1 his father consented to his leaving 
the uncongenial bookstore that he might accom- 
pany Mr. Allston to Europe to make a serious 
study of art. In July, in company with Mr. Allston, 
he sailed for England. His first letter from London 
written to his parents was almost prophetic, in view 
of the invention that was to make him famous. 
He said : 

I only wish you had this letter now to relieve your minds 
from anxiety, for while I am writing I can imagine Mother 
wishing that she could hear of my arrival, and thinking of 
thousands of accidents which may have befallen me. I wish 
that in an instant I could communicate the information ; 



SAMUEL F. B. MORSE 191 

but three thousand miles are not passed over in an instant, 
and we must wait four long weeks before we can hear from 
each other. 

In London Morse was introduced to Benjamin 
West, the great American artist, then more than 
seventy years old, who had been taught to paint by 
an Indian, using hair brushes made from the back 
and tail of a cat. The story of his struggles and 
triumphs inspired the young student to do his best 
under Mr. West's guidance. Frequently he worked 
at the easel from half-past seven in the morning 
until five in the afternoon. 

An incident that occurred several months after 
the pupil began to receive instruction from the 
great artist not only illustrates the wise method 
of the teacher but shows the spirit of the student. 
When Morse presented to Mr. West a drawing of 
the Farnese Hercules which he intended to offer 
as a test for his admission at the British Academy, 
the great artist said, " Very well, sir, very well, go 
on and finish it." "It is finished," was the reply. 
Three or four defects were pointed out to him, 
and he was content to spend another week on 
the drawing. Once more Mr. West urged him to 
" go on and finish it." Almost discouraged, Morse 
asked, "Is it not finished ? " Again defects were 
shown, and the beginner was set to work once 



192 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

more. But when a third examination resulted in 
the same verdict as before, Morse said, " I cannot 
finish it." Thereupon the teacher said : 

Well, I have tried you long enough. You have learned 
more by this drawing than you would have accomplished in 
double the time by a dozen half-finished beginnings. It is 
not numerous drawings, but the character of one, that makes 
a finished draughtsman. Finish one picture, sir, and you 
are a painter. 

For five years Morse remained abroad. He did 
good work both in sculpture and in painting. 
When he returned to America in 1816 he thought 
he could make a living by his art. But as there 
was no demand for his work he had time for other 
things than pictures. Many of the evenings of the 
first year at home were spent in planning an im- 
proved force pump for a fire engine. Late in the 
year a Boston paper published an account of this 
invention, for which Finley and his brother Sidney 
secured a patent. The engine was a success ; it 
made the name of Morse more famous than his art 
had yet done. Fortunately it was decided not to 
weight it with the name Sidney proposed, "Morse's 
Patent Metallic Double- Headed Ocean Drinker 
and Deluge Spouter Valve Pump Boxes." 

During this time of great discouragement a 
friend wrote to Mr. Morse, " Believe that you are 



SAMUEL F. B. MORSE 1 93 

destined to do something great, and you will do it." 
The words cheered the young man for years of 
varying fortune. Comparative failure in the North 
was followed by a successful year in Charleston, 
South Carolina, where within a few weeks he had 
orders for one hundred and fifty miniatures at sixty 
dollars each. Later he painted a number of more 
ambitious pictures that were highly spoken of, 
among these being portraits of President Monroe 
and of General Lafayette and a large canvas of the 
House of Representatives in session. He became 
the founder of the New York Academy of Design, 
and after many years of poverty he had a measure 
of popularity and comfort. 

But his art was not enough to occupy his active 
mind. In 1827 he revived his studies of electricity, 
particularly electromagnetism, under Professor Dana 
of Columbia College, hi 1829, when he made a 
second trip to Europe, his mind was on electricity 
as well as on art. In 1832, after study of the 
French Semaphore Telegraph System, he decided 
that this was too slow. " The lightning will scarcely 
be too fast " was his comment. 

In October, 1832, he was a passenger on the 
packet ship Sully, from Havre to New York. Dur- 
ing a conversation on electricity at the dinner table 
a passenger, Dr. Jackson, referred to experiments 



194 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

made by Dr! Franklin with several miles of wire 
in circuit to learn the velocity of electricity, when 
it was found that there was no observable difference 
in time between the touch at one end of the wire 
and the spark at the other. Thereupon Mr. Morse 
remarked, " If the presence of electricity can be 
made visible in any part of the circuit, I see no 
reason why intelligence may not be transmitted 
instantaneously by electricity." As he spoke there 
came to his mind all that he had ever learned about 
electricity, and the idea of the telegraph was born. 

For days he worked feverishly, making sketches 
in his notebook. Soon he finished the general 
outline which became the basis of his invention. 
Before the vessel reached port he said to Captain 
Pell, " Well, Captain, should you hear of the tele- 
graph one of these days as the wonder of the world, 
remember that the discovery was made on board 
the good ship Siilly^ 

At the dock his two brothers met him. To them 
he told of his invention. Richard Morse said of 
this conversation : 

Hardly had the usual greetings passed between us three 
brothers, and while on our way to my home, before he 
informed us that he had made, during the voyage, an im- 
portant invention, which had occupied about all his atten- 
tion on shipboard — one that would astonish the world, and 



SAMUEL F. B. MORSE 



195 



of the success of which he was perfectly sanguine ; that 
his invention was a means of communicating inteUigence by 
electricity, so that a message could be written down in a 
permanent manner by characters, at a distance from the 
writer. He took from his pocket and showed from his 
sketch book in which he had drawn them, the kind of 



■» 







BEFORE THE DAYS OF TRANSATLANTIC STEAMSHIPS 



characters he proposed to use. The characters were dots 
and dashes, representing the ten digits or numerals ; and in 
the book were sketched other parts of his electromagnetic 
machinery and apparatus, actually drawn out. . . . 

Once more the artist inventor tried to combine 
art and experiments. In the fifth story of a build- 
ing in New York City he had a room which for a 



196 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

long time was his study, studio, bedchamber, parlor, 
kitchen, drawing room, and workshop. 

On one side of the room stood the little cot on which 
he slept, when sleep was kind enough to visit him, in the 
brief hours which he allowed himself for repose. On the 
other side of the room, by the window, stood his lathe with 
which he, his own mechanician and workman, as well as 
inventor, turned the brass apparatus necessary for him to 
use in the construction of his instrument. He had, with 
his own hands, first whittled the model and the castings. 
On the lathe, with the graver's tools, he gave them polish 
and finish. Into this room were brought to him, from day 
to day, crackers and the simplest food which, with tea, 
prepared by himself, sustained his life. 

Then came a bitter disappointment which proved 
the best thing that could have happened to him. 
He sought a commission for one of the historical 
paintings to be placed in the rotunda of the Capitol 
at Washington. Owing to what seemed an un- 
fortunate misunderstanding, the commission which 
might have been given to him was given to another. 
Because of this disappointment, Morse the artist 
became Morse the inventor. 

On September 2, 1837, an exhibition of the 
completed telegraph was given at the New York 
University, where Mr. Morse was serving as pro- 
fessor. It was evident that the instrument was a 



SAMUEL F. B. MORSE 



197 



success. Some wondered if it was practicable for 
long distances, but Mr. Morse replied, " If I can 
succeed in working a magnet ten miles, I can go 
round the globe." 

A private exhibition to friends was given in 
New York on January 24, 1838. On this occa- 
sion the message was transmitted and recorded, 




THE TRANSATLANTIC STEAMSHIP FULTON, 1855 

" Attention, the Universe ! By Kingdoms, Right 
Wheel." And on February 20, 1838, the inven- 
tion was tested at Washington before the President 
of the United States and the heads of govern- 
ment departments. This was so successful that it 
was decided to ask Congress for an appropriation 
for a trial line. 

There was discouraging delay in pushing this ap- 
propriation through Congress. The inventor worked 



198 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

and hoped on. During the time of waiting for 
action he went to Europe to apply for foreign 
patents. He was successful in France, but his 
request was refused in England on the ground 
that his invention was not new. After eleven 
months abroad, he landed in New York. The 
next day he wrote to an associate : 

I return without a farthing in my pocket, and have to 
borrow even for my meals, and, even worse than this, I 
have incurred a debt of rent by my absence. ... I do 
not mention this in the way of complaint, but merely 
to show that I have also been compelled to make great 
sacrifices for the common good, and am willing yet to 
make more, if necessary. 

Four years longer he managed to exist while 
he waited for Congress to act on his application. 
A letter written in 1841 told of his trials during 
this period : 

I have not a cent in the world. I am crushed for 
want of means. ... I fear all will fail because I am too 
poor to risk the trifling expenses which my journey to 
and residence in Washington will cost me. . . . Nothing 
but the consciousness that I have an invention which is 
to mark an era in human civilization, and which is to con- 
tribute to the happiness of millions, would have sustained 
me through so many and such lengthened trials of patience 
in proof of it. 



SAMUEL F. B. MORSE 



199 



The appropriation for the trial Hne finally passed 
the House of Representatives on February 27, 1843, 
by the narrow margin of 89 to 83. But it seemed 
certain that the Senate would not concur. Two 
hours before the close of the session the inventor 
went home disheartened. He passed a sleepless 
night, thinking of the thirty-seven and a half cents 
he would have 
when he reached 
New York, a dis- 
appointed man. 
Early in the morn- 
ing, however, he 
had a call from 
Miss Annie Ells- 
worth, daughter of 
the Commissioner 




AN EARLY TRANSATLANTIC STEAMER 



of Patents, who 

brought word that the bill was the last passed at 
the session. The gratified inventor promised her 
that she should send the first message over the 
trial line from Baltimore to Washington. When, a 
year later, the line was ready for operation, she sent 
the historic message, transmitted by the inventor: 
" What hath God wrought ! " 

A few days later, when Silas Wright was 
nominated for vice president by the Democratic 



2CX) MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

convention in session in Baltimore, word was 
telegraphed to Mr. Wright in Washington, who 
at once wired his answer, declining the nomina- 
tion. The convention would not believe that a 
message had so soon been sent and the response 
correctly received till they had sent a delegation 
all the way to Washington to learn the truth. 

References for Further Reading 

Prime, Samuel Iren^us. Life of Samuel F. B. Morse. D. Apple- 
ton and Company, New York, 1874. 

Samuel F. B. Morse, His Letters and Journals. Edited by Edward Lind 
Morse. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston. 



^JtMJvuwJl^UJ^^UA^iJ^^iJX^UJWJv^^^u^ky^ 



When a young man ... I kept a country school . . . 
then ... I experienced a higher feeling of dignity and 
self-satisfaction than from any office or honor which I 
have since held. 

Sam Houston 



;^^Yo^AY)r\^AYyn>^nYlr^^Y/nvrn^rn^ 



CHAPTER XV 

SAM HOUSTON, PIONEER 

(Born near Lexington, Virginia, March 2, 1 793 ; died in Huntsville, 
Texas, July 26, 1863) 

Sam Houston came of soldier stock. His father, 
Samuel Houston, served through the Revolution- 
ary War, at the close of which he was appointed 
Major and Inspector General of the frontier troops. 
While away from home on this duty, he died in 
the Allegheny Mountains in 1806. 

Six sons and three daughters were thus left 
dependent on Mrs. Houston. Deciding that the 
best chance for all of them would be in the new 
settlements in Tennessee, she crossed the Alle- 
gheny Mountains with her family and built a 
rude log cabin in Blount County, eight miles from 
the Tennessee River, at the outermost edge of 
civilization. There the pioneer family had to be 
on guard continually against the Indians, for just 



202 



MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 



beyond were the lands where the Cherokees 
roamed. Sam, who was thirteen years old at the 
time of his father's death, was his mother's de- 
pendable helper during the laborious and anxious 
days of the making of the new home. 

Fortunately Sam had 
learned to read, write, 
spell, and do simple 
problems in arithmetic 
at the primitive neigh- 
borhood school in Vir- 
ginia. In Tennessee his 
opportunities for further 
study were limited ; there 
were few schools, and 
his mother needed his 
help. Yet he was able 
to learn many things 
from the few books he 
discovered in the homes of the settlers. These he 
read eagerly, early in the morning before the day's 
toil and as long as the candle end would last him 
in the evening. One of his favorite volumes was 
Pope's translation of Homer's Iliad ; this satisfied 
his hunger for stories of conflict and adventure. 
Either at this period or in later life he learned, 
without a teacher, suflicient Latin to enable him 




SAM HOUSTON 



SAM HOUSTON 203 

to read Caesar's "Commentaries." It is not difficult 
to imagine how persistently the ambitious student 
must have studied the grammar and pored over 
the puzzling sentences till they yielded to him 
their secrets. Later, Caesar's story of the Gallic 
Wars became his unfailing book of reference during 
the campaigns in Texas that made him famous. 

Young Houston's first adventure led him into 
the country of the Cherokees, just across the 
Tennessee River. He had been clerking in the 
store of a trader near his home, but he could 
not resist the call of the forest. He spent some 
years among the Indians, living in their cabins, 
wearing native garments, learning their difficult 
language, and spending days in hunting, fishing, 
trapping, and the other occupations of the tribes- 
men who adopted him as one of themselves. 
From time to time he appeared among his own 
people, remaining long enough to buy supplies 
of powder, shot, and trinkets for trading. 

But when he was eighteen he found a longer 
stay necessary. Wishing to earn money to pay 
for the supplies he had bought on credit, he 
opened a country school where the price of tui- 
tion was eight dollars a year. One third of this 
amount was payable in corn at thirty-one and a 
half cents per bushel, one third in cash, and one 



204 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

third in cotton goods. The fee was small, but 
there were so many pupils enrolled that his 
income for the year was good. 

Years later, when he was United States sen- 
ator, a friend asked him which one of the many 
offices he had held had given him most pleasure. 
He replied : 

When a young man in Tennessee I kept a country 
school, being then about eighteen years of age, and a 
tall, strapping fellow. At noon, after the luncheon, which 
I and my pupils ate together out of our baskets, I w^ould 
go out into the woods, and cut me a '' sour wood " stick, 
trim it carefully in circular spirals, and thrust one half 
of it into the fire, which would turn it blue, leaving the 
other half white. With this emblem of armament and 
authority in my hand, dressed in a hunting-shirt of flow- 
ered calico, a big queue down my back, and the sense 
of authority over my pupils, I experienced a higher feel- 
ing of dignity and self-satisfaction than from any office 
or honor which I have since held. 

His experience as a teacher made him feel the 
need of more education, and he entered the acad- 
emy at Maryville, but the outbreak of the War 
of 1812 called him from the classroom. When 
he marched away with the soldiers, his mother 
handed him his musket, and said : 

There, my son, take this musket, and never disgrace 
it ; for remember, I had rather all my sons should fill 



SAM HOUSTON 



205 



an honorable grave than that one of them should turn 

his back to save his life. Yes, and remember, too, that 

while the door of my cabin is open to brave men, it is 
entirely shut to all cowards. 

The campaign in which he engaged was brief 
but brilliant. His regiment joined the command 




AN INDIAN WAR DANCE 



of General Jackson in its defense of the colonists 
against the Creeks, who took advantage of the 
war to attempt to drive out the settlers. In the 
engagement at To-ho-pe-ka, or the Horse Shoe, 
said to have been one of the fiercest encounters 
ever known between whites and Indians, he was 
a fearless leader. Early in the day, as he climbed 



2o6 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

to the top of the Indian pahsade, he was wounded 
by a barbed arrow, but he jumped within the 
barrier and led a charge that drove back the 
Indians to the shelter of the trees. Then he 
paused to have the arrow pulled from the wound. 
Though General Jackson told him he was too 
weak to fight longer, he insisted on continuing 
to do his part. When a party of Indians had 
taken refuge in a section of deep ravine, covered 
with heavy fir logs, Jackson called for volunteers 
to dislodge them. There was no response until 
Houston sprang forward, never doubting that the 
men would follow^ at his call. He was close to 
the ravine when he was shot twice in the shoul- 
der and so severely wounded in the arm that his 
musket fell to the ground. He turned for help 
to his comrades only to find that no one had 
followed him. As it would have been folly to 
push on, he withdrew from the range of the guns 
of the Indians. In a few minutes he had the 
satisfaction of seeing the Creeks driven from their 
cover, and of knowing that his comrades were 
victorious. Months passed before he was well 
enough to report for service, and he never entirely 
recovered from the wound in his right arm. 

Three years later, when a man was needed as 
sub-agent of the Cherokees, he was appointed on 



SAM HOUSTON 207 

the recommendation of General Jackson, who 
wrote of him to the Assistant Secretary of War: 

He is a young man of sound integrity, who has my entire 
confidence, and in every way is capacitated to fill the appoint- 
ment. Moreover, he has sound claims upon the government 
for a severe wound received in the service, which may be 
considered a disability. 

Houston's most important service as sub-agent 
was the pacifying of those Cherokees who were 
indignant at the surrender by their chiefs of 
1,385,200 acres of their lands in Tennessee. Later 
he succeeded in putting a stop to the illegal acts 
of the adventurers who made a business of steal- 
ing slaves in Florida, which was then a Spanish 
possession, and smuggling them across the Indian 
reservation for sale to the settlers beyond. 

On May 18, 1818, when he held a commission 
as first lieutenant, he resigned from the service. 
After six months in a law office in Nashville he 
was admitted to the bar. When he began prac- 
tice at Lebanon he bought the necessary law 
books and a suit of clothes on credit, and was 
trusted by the postmaster for the postage on his 
letters. The rent of his first office was twelve 
dollars a year. He was successful in his new 
work, won the friendship of the people, became 



2o8 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

successively adjutant general of the state, pros- 
ecuting attorney for his district, representative in 
Congress, and governor of Tennessee. At the 
time of his election as governor his appearance 
was described as follows : 

He wore ... a tall, bell-crowned, medium-trimmed, shin- 
ing black beaver hat, shining black patent leather military 
stock or cravat, incased by a standing collar, ruffled, short, 
black satin vest, shining black silk pants gathered to the waist- 
band, with legs full, same size from seat to ankles, and a gor- 
geous, red-ground, many colored gown or Indian hunting shirt, 
fastened at the waist by a huge red sash covered with fancy 
bead-work, with a tremendous silver buckle, embroidered 
blue stockings, and pumps with large silver buckles. 

As governor, Houston was a success and he 
was elected for a second term. But, deciding 
suddenly that he wanted to leave civilization be- 
hind him, he resigned his ofHce, slipped away to 
the Indian territory, and remained there for some 
years, serving the Indians at Washington and 
defending them against dishonest traders. 

Then came a call that brought out the best 
that was in him. In 1832 he was sent to Texas 
by President Jackson to arrange treaties with the 
Indians for the protection of settlers on the bor- 
der. Just at this time settlers in Texas, which 
was then a part of the province of Coahuila, were 



SAM HOUSTON 



209 



seeking for equal privileges with the other Mexi- 
can states. Most of the settlers had come from 
the United States, and they hoped that in time 
Texas might become a part of the United States. 
On February 13, 1833, Houston wrote to Pres- 
ident Jackson that the time was ripe for getting 



iB^i'^ift^ii 







SAN JOSE MISSION, SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS 

hold of the country. Less than three months 
later he was asked to serve as a delegate to a 
Constitutional Convention, w^hich demanded from 
Mexico the organization of the territory into a 
state, and was made the chairman of the com- 
mittee which drew up for the proposed state a 
constitution based on that of the United States. 
Stephen F. Austin, who has been called '' The 
Father of Texas," went to Mexico City with the 



2IO MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

petition. But he was imprisoned, and the request 
of Texas was denied by Santa Anna, president 
of Mexico. 

Later, when the colonists attempted to defend 
themselves against the Indians and other law- 
breakers, the demand was made that they give 
up their arms. An attempt to enforce the demand 
led to several conflicts in which Houston was a 
leader of the defenders of Texas. 

The organization of a provisional government 
followed in 1834, and Houston was chosen com- 
mander in chief of the army. The brief war with 
Mexico was marked by a number of heroic events, 
chief of which was the defense of the Alamo in 
San Antonio, when a small force of Texans re- 
sisted ten times their number of Mexicans for 
more than three weeks. " I shall never surrender 
or retreat," the commander wrote two weeks after 
the beginning of the siege. The six Texans who 
finally surrendered were massacred by the Mexicans. 

" Remember the Alamo ! " was the battle cry 
of the war for independence until the Mexican 
army was routed at San Jacinto, April 21, 1836. 

At the first election, September i, 1836, Hous- 
ton was chosen president of the new republic, a 
constitution was adopted, and it was voted to ask 
for admission to the American Union. 



SAM HOUSTON 



211 



One of the first acts of President Houston was 
to insist on the release of Santa Anna, the leader 
of the Mexican force which he had defeated at 
San Jacinto. The Texan congress was bitter 
against him and wished to put him to death, 




THE ALAMO, SAN ANTONIO, TEXAS 



but Houston succeeded in persuading them to 
be lenient. 

The republic was recognized by the United 
States Congress, though that body decided that 
the time had not come to welcome the country 
into the Union. The facts that Texas had de- 
clared against slavery and that annexation would 



212 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

mean war with Mexico, were arguments that 
delayed the action desired by man)^ people in 
the United States as well as by most of the 
Texans, of whom there were about fifty-eight 
thousand. 

Again President Houston proved a good leader. 
Under his guidance the country prospered, laws 
were enacted and enforced, and the Indians were 
persuaded to live at peace with the settlers. His 
knowledge of the language and the customs of 
the Cherokees fitted him for the task of dealing 
with them. 

During both of his terms as president of Texas 
Houston made diligent efforts to secure the ad- 
mission of the country as one of the United 
States, but in his final address to Congress, at 
the close of his second term, he said : 

The United States have spurned Texas twice already. 
Let her therefore firmly maintain her position as it is, and 
work out her political salvation. Let her legislation proceed 
upon the principle that we are to be and to remain an in- 
dependent people. If Texas goes begging again for admis- 
sion to the United States, she will only degrade herself. . . . 
If we remain an independent nation, our territory will become 
extensive — unlimited. 

When it became known in the United States 
that it was proposed to secure at once the 



SAM HOUSTON 213 

agreement of Great Britain, France, the United 
States, and Mexico to the recognition of Texas 
as an independent nation, and that Texas was to 
give a formal pledge not to unite with any other 
nation, Congress acted at once. In 1845 Texas 
ceased to be a republic, and was recognized as a 
part of the United States. 

Houston was chosen one of Texas's first United 
States senators. In the Senate he became known 
as a stanch defender of the Union and as a 
friend of the Indians, though he was almost alone 
in Congress in standing up for them. He insisted 
that they could be civilized. His program, in part, 
was as follows: 

Withdraw your army. Have five hundred cavalry, if you 
will, but I would rather have two hundred and fifty Texas 
rangers (such as I could raise) than five hundred of the best 
cavalry now in service. I would have fur-trading houses 
from the Rio Grande to the Red River for intercourse with 
the Indians. . . . Show them that you have comforts to ex- 
change for their peltries. . . . Take no whiskey there at 
all. . . . Have fields around the trading houses . . . encour- 
age the Indians to cultivate these. Let them see how much 
it adds to their comfort . . . you cheer him, and he becomes 
a civilized man. 

In 1857 he was defeated because of opposition 
stirred up by his faithfulness to the Union, which 



214 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

some insisted was treason to the South. After 
twelve years as a lawmaker he returned to his 
Texas home, probably feeling that he was en- 
titled to pass his last years in quiet. But in 1859 
he consented to be a candidate for governor of 
Texas ; he hoped to persuade the people to be 
loyal in the days he saw would come soon. He 
was elected by a large majority, but was unsuc- 
cessful in his efforts to keep Texas from declar- 
ing its purpose to secede. When he did not 
appear at the appointed time to take the oath of 
allegiance to the Confederacy, he was deposed, 
and the lieutenant governor was made governor 
in his stead. 

When he finally retired to private life, he was 
a poor man. He might have been rich, but he 
had refused to speculate in lands. He had even 
voluntarily cut down his salary from ten thousand 
dollars to five thousand dollars because of the 
poverty of the state. At his death his most val- 
uable possession was the sword which he had 
worn at the battle of San Jacinto. This he left 
to his eldest son, Sam Houston, " to be drawn 
only in the defense of the constitution, the laws, 
and the liberties of his country." 

General Sam Houston must always be honored 
among the makers of America. His strength of will, 



SAM HOUSTON 215 

his fidelity to his friends, his love of country, his 
practical common sense, and his wise statesmanship 
combined to make a hero of unusual mold. 



References for Further Reading 

Bruce, Henry. Life of General Houston. Dodd, Mead & Company, 
New York. 

Williams, Alfred M. Sam Houston and the War of Independence 
in Texas. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston. 



1 



We have been defeated. For us as a Christian people 
there is but one course to pursue. We must accept the 
situation. These men must go home and plant a crop, 
and we must proceed to build up our country on a new 
basis. Robert E. Lee 



;f/^YiYA>^/\rrAYY/^YrnYl<nY/^^ 



CHAPTER XVI 

ROBERT E. LEE, SOLDIER 

(Born in Westmoreland County, Virginia, January 19, 1807; died at 
Lexington, Virginia, October 12, 1870) 

It was natural that Robert E. Lee should be a 
soldier. One of his ancestors is said to have fought 
at the battle of Hastings, while another was a 
trusted lieutenant of Richard Coeur de Lion at the 
siege of Acre. Representatives of later generations 
rendered signal service in the early history of Vir- 
ginia, while the work of "Light-Horse Harry" Lee 
in the Revolution is familiar to every schoolboy. 

Robert E. Lee, the son of " Light- Horse Harry," 
was born in the historic manor house, Stratford, 
built by Thomas Lee, a brother of his great- 
grandfather. It was a treasured tradition in the 
Lee family that the East India Company and 
the queen of England had assisted by their gifts 

in the building of the Virginia home. 

216 




ROBERT E. LEE 



217 



2l8 



MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 



On the large plantation surrounding the manor 
house, Robert had abundant opportunity for the out- 
door activities so dear to a boy. While he spent 
many months of each year at Alexandria, where 
his parents took their children in order to be near 




AN OLD PLANTATION SCHOOLHOUSE 



schools, the day appointed for the return to the 
country was always welcomed. 

He liked to be in the open air. He was a skill- 
ful horseman, and he used to ride in all kinds of 
weather. This active life strengthened his consti- 
tution for the exposure of later years. 

The frequent absence of Robert's father in search 
of health, and of his older brother at school, threw 



ROBERT E. LEE 219 

much responsibility on him when he was still quite 
young. To him was committed the care of his in- 
valid mother, and never did son look after a mother 
more tenderly. A friend said of him : 

Discarding schoolboy frolics, he would hurry home from 
his studies to see that his mother had her daily drive, and 
might be seen carrying her to her carriage, affectionately 
arranging her cushions, and earnestly endeavoring to enter- 
tain her, and gravely asserting that, unless she was cheerful, 
she would derive no benefit from her airing. In her last 
illness, he mixed every dose of medicine she took, and he 
nursed her night and day. He never left her but for a 
short time. 

This intimate companionship brought out the 
best that was in the boy. While he was caring for 
her, she was giving him a liberal education in those 
graces of character which combined to make him 
the thorough gentleman whom all who knew him 
loved and honored. 

But he did not wait for years of maturity to 
show the qualities of mind and heart that made 
him great. In school he was the joy of his teachers, 
one of whom said : 

He never was behindhand in his studies ; never failed in 
a single recitation ; was perfectly observant of the rules and 
regulations of the institution ; was always gentlemanly, un- 
obtrusive, and respectful in his deportment to his teachers 
and his fellow students. 



220 



MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 



In his eighteenth year he' entered West Point. 
His four years there were a triumph. By his in- 
tegrity of character, as well as by his scholarship, 
he made a record for popularity with his comrades 
and with his professors. It is a tradition at the 




VIEW OF THE HUDSON RIVER FROM WEST POINT 



Military Academy that his record was perfect in 
every respect. His friends learned to expect great 
things of him. 

His first task after graduation was engineering 
work in Michigan, Ohio, and Illinois. At the out- 
break of the Mexican War he was a captain of 



ROBERT E. LEE 



221 



engineers, and to him was committed the task of 
studying the country for the divisions of the army 
of invasion then advancing under the command of 
Generals Wood and Taylor. At the siege of Vera 
Cruz he took part in the bombardment of the 
castle of San Juan de Ulloa, one of the strongest 
fortifications on the continent. The surrender of 




FORT SAN JUAN DE ULLOA, VERA CRUZ 



Vera Cruz was by General Scott attributed largely 
to the engineering skill of Captain Lee. In later 
engagements he distinguished himself so greatly 
that on all sides words of highest praise were 
spoken of him. 

When the City of Mexico was occupied, a com- 
pany of officers, after deciding that much of the 
credit of the successful campaign against ihe city 



222 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

was due to Captain Lee, proposed the health of 
the modest man. Search was made for him, and he 
was found drawing a map. The officer who found 
him requested him to join his companions, but Cap- 
tain Lee said he could not leave his work. '' But 
this is mere drudgery," the officer said ; " make some 
one else do it." " No," was the reply, " I am but 
doing my duty." 

After the Mexican War Captain Lee, soon made 
brevet colonel, was in charge of important engineer- 
ing operations. Later he became superintendent of 
West Point Military Academy and leader of troops 
against the Indians in Texas. His last important 
assignment for the United States was as leader of 
the party sent to take John Brown at Harper's 
Ferry. In all these tasks he was most successful. 

When Virginia joined her sister states of the 
South in seceding from the Union, Colonel Lee 
felt that his duty was clear. It was not easy to 
take up arms against the United States govern- 
ment, but he considered himself first of all a citizen 
of his native state. To respond to the call of the 
Confederacy meant ruin. His beautiful home would 
inevitably be destroyed. But he did not hesitate. 

It has been repeatedly pointed out that a desire 
to retain possession of his slaves had nothing to 
do with the decision to fight for the South. His 



ROBERT E. LEE 223 

own slaves had already been freed, and provision 
had been made in the will of Mrs. Lee's father 
that all his slaves should be freed in 1862. 

The governor of Virginia at once appointed 
Colonel Lee commander of the Virginia troops. 
When the Confederate War Department organized 
the united forces, he was made military adviser of 
President Davis, and to his genius in directing the 
movements of troops, the successes of the South in 
the early campaigns of the war have been attributed. 

Later he was appointed commander of the army 
which was to move against the Federal forces in 
western Virginia. Early in this campaign, when a 
well-laid plan failed because of the unreadiness of 
subordinates to carry out instructions, he did not 
lay the blame on others, but assumed it himself. 
There was unfavorable comment on his failure, 
and this he might have silenced by a bold and 
really useless attack on the Federals at Sewell's 
Mountain. But he would not purchase reputation 
at so great a cost. " I could not afford," he said, 
" to sacrifice the lives of five or six hundred of my 
people to silence public clamor." 

President Davis, unmoved by the murmurings 
against General Lee, appointed him to other posi- 
tions of responsibility. Coast defenses in Georgia 
and the Carolinas were constructed in such a 



2 24 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

masterly manner that the war was nearly at an 
end before the Federal troops were able to over- 
come the advantage gained by means of these. 

In the Peninsular Campaign, when Lee was in 
chief command of the forces of the South, he 
showed the strategical ability for which he was 
famous. At first he was successful ; later, failure 
followed failure. But the commander was the same 
gentlemanly soldier in time of failure as of success ; 
he was always ready to shoulder the blame and 
to shield his subordinates. 

At Fredericksburg still another side of the 
general's character was revealed. " Stonewall " 
Jackson, who was associated with him in the direc- 
tion of the troops, sent to him for instructions. 
" Go tell General Jackson that he knows as well 
what to do as I," was the answer. This has been 
called " one of the most generous compliments 
ever paid by a commander to a general." 

When, some time later, General Jackson was se- 
verely wounded at Chancellorsville, the battle that 
was Lee's greatest success, the commander showed 
the same greatness as in the days when reproaches 
were being heaped upon him for his failure. In 
reply to word brought to him from General Jackson, 
whose left arm had been amputated, he sent a mes- 
sage to the wounded man that the victory was his. 



ROBERT E. LEE 225 

Later he said of him, "He has lost his left arm, 
but I have lost my right." 

At Gettysburg, after three days' hard fighting, the 
army of invasion under Lee was defeated. Then his 
generosity was as apparent as on the field of Chan- 
cellorsville. "It is all my fault, and you must help 
me out of it the best you can," was his remark to 
General Pickett. To Jefferson Davis he wrote sug- 
gesting that some " younger and abler man " be 
put in his place ; but the president replied that 
one more fit to command or who possessed more 
of the confidence of the army and of the reflecting 
m.en of the country could not be found. 

hi the last days of the Confederacy the hopeless 
Southern troops did not falter in their loyalty to 
their leader. Colonel Marshall, a member of his 
staff, wrote : 

I can best describe his influence by saying that such was 
the love and veneration of the men for him, that they had 
come to look upon the cause as General Lee's cause, and 
they fought for it because they loved him. To them he 
represented cause, country, and all. 

His attitude in the supreme hour was heroic. 
When he might have prolonged the conflict by 
guerrilla warfare, and was urged to do so, he said: 

No, that will not do. It must be remembered we are 
Christian people. We have fought this fight as long and as 



2 26 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

well as we know how. We have been defeated. For us as 
a Christian people there is but one course to pursue. We 
must accept the situation. These men must go home and 
plant a crop, and we must proceed to build up our country 
on a new basis. 

And when, learning that he intended to surren- 
der, one near him remarked, " What will history 
say of the surrender of this army in the field ? " he 
replied, " That is not the question. The question 
is, Is it right .^ If it is right, I will take the 
responsibility." 

The five years following the end of the war were, 
in many respects, the greatest of his heroic life. 
He gave himself to serve his state as a part of the 
reunited country. Living at first in obscurity on a 
little farm, he then became president of Washington 
College at Lexington, Virginia, where his marvelous 
qualities of mind and heart enabled him to render 
to the cause of education an unobtrusive but in- 
fluential service. After his death the name of the 
institution was changed to Washington and Lee 
University. 

References for Further Reading 

Bruce, Philip Alexander. Robert Edward Lee. George W. 

Jacobs & Company, Philadelphia. 
Lee, Fitzhugh. Life of Robert E. Lee. D. Appleton and Company, 

New York. 



.:> U>(XU>C\ UJW^^UUUU^W>V^^^ 



Ah ! what would the world be to us 

If the children were no more ? 
We should dread the desert behind us 

Worse than the dark before. 

Henry W. Longfellow 



;frvvynYy/^YyAY)r^Y?r^>rY/av^^^ 



CHAPTER XVII 

HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW, 
THE CHILDREN'S POET 

(Born in Portland, Maine, February 27, 1807; died in Cambridge, 

Massachusetts, March 22, 1882) 

When Longfellow was a boy, Portland was not 
a large town. In fact, there were no large towns in 
New England. Boston itself had only twenty-five 
thousand inhabitants. But Portland was a pleasant 
place in which to live. There was ample oppor- 
tunity for a boy who loved the streams and the 
ocean, the fields and the woods, to wander for hours 
on a holiday. 

But while Henry enjoyed wandering on the 
streets or in the country about the town, he had 
little taste for sports. When he was five he was 
ready to become a soldier in the War of 1812, for 
his aunt wrote : " Our little Henry is ready to 

march ; he had his tin gun prepared and his head 

227 



228 



MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 



powdered a week ago." His martial spirit was 
shown also by his request to his father for a drum, 
though his unfitness for the scenes of war was 
indicated by his desire to have cotton put in his 

ears to keep out 
the sound of the 
Fourth of July 
cannon. When he 
did finally fire a 
gun it was a time 
of sorrow, not of 
joy. Once his elder 
brother took him 
to the woods with 
a gun, but he soon 
returned with tears 
in his eyes. He 
had shot a robin, 
and that was the 
last time he ever 
pulled a trigger. 
Sights and sounds of war came so close that he 
grew familiar with them, even if he did not go as 
a soldier. Forts for the defense of Portland were 
built, and at sea, near the city, the American Brig 
Enterprise fought and captured the British schooner 
Boxer, and then towed it into the harbor. The 




HENRY W. LONGFELLOW 



HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW 229 

scene when the two commanders were buried on 
shore was never forgotten by him. He wrote of it 
later in " My Lost Youth " : 

I remember the sea fight far away, 

How it thundered o'er the tide ! 
And the dead captains, as they lay 
In their graves o'erlooking the tranquil bay 

Where they in battle died. 

He was sent to school when he was five, and 
was early taught that a pupil should never smile 
in school hours. A year or more later he received 
this certificate from his teacher: 

Master Henry Longfellow is one of the best boys we 
have in school. He spells and reads very well. He also 
can add and multiply numbers. His conduct last quarter 
was very correct and amiable. June 30, 18 13. 

When school was over for the clay, he was 
usually eager for a book. When he was twelve he 
began to read Washington Irving's " Sketch Book," 
which appeared in serial parts. " I read each suc- 
ceeding number with ever-increasing wonder and 
delight," he said. " Don Quixote " was another 
favorite. Cowper's poems and Moore's " Lalla 
Rookh " formed a part of his reading. 

He had access to Shakespeare, Milton, Pope, 
Dryden, Thomson, Goldsmith ; The Spectator, The 
Rambler, the " Lives of the Poets," " Rasselas," 



2^0 



MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 



Plutarch's " Lives," as well as Hume's " History of 
England " and Gibbon's " Decline and Fall of the 
Roman Empire," " Robinson Crusoe " and the Ara- 
bian Nights, were favorites of the imaginative boy. 
He was thirteen years old when his first verses 
were published. They appeared over the signature 




-^--^^ r--f I- --^^ i-^l j,^j; -^"--^^^v^^-^ 




LONGFELLOW'S HOUSE, CAMBRIDGE 

'' Henry " in T/ie Portland Gazette. His theme 
was "The Battle of Lovell's Pond," an encounter 
in the French and Indian War, the scene of which 
he had visited. The first stanza read : 

Cold, cold is the north wind and rude is the blast 
That sweeps like a hurricane loudly and fast, 
As it moans through the tall waving pines lone and drear, 
Sighs a requiem sad o'er the w^arrior's bier. 



HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW 



231 



Henry was fifteen years old when he was sent 
with his brother Stephen to Bowdoin College, the 
pioneer school of which the father of the boys was 
a trustee. Henry entered the sophomore class, 
of which Nathaniel 
Hawthorne was a 
member. Another 
classmate described 
him as he was at 
this period : 

He was genial, socia- 
ble, and agreeable, and 
always a gentleman in 
his deportment. He was 
uniformly cheerful. He 
had a happy tempera- 
ment, free from envy 

His nose was rather 
prominent, his eyes clear 
and blue, and his well- 
formed head was covered 
with a profusion of brown 
hair flowing loosely. 




LONGFELLOW'S LIBRARY 



In 1825, when less than nineteen, he completed 
his course. During the years in college he had 
done a good deal of writing, including seventeen 
poems, five of which were later chosen by him 
for preservation in his complete works. He had 



2 32 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

maintained high rank in class, and for commence- 
ment day he was assigned one of the three Eng- 
Hsh orations reserved for the leaders in the class. 
Immediately he was elected to the new chair 
of Modern Languages, and was asked to go to 
Europe, there to fit himself for his new work. But 
he was not entirely satisfied with the prospect. He 
had already made up his mind that he wanted to 
adopt literature as a profession, though his father 
did not look favorably on the idea, judging from 
this letter written by the son while he was yet 
in college : 

In thinking of making a lawyer of me, I think you 
thought more partially than justly. I do not, for my own 
part, imagine that such a coat would suit me. I hardly 
think Nature designed me for the bar, or the pulpit, or the 
dissecting room. I am altogether in favor of the farmer's 
life. Do keep the farmer's boots for me. 

However, he wrote, at another time : 

Of divinity, medicine, and law, I should choose the last. 
Whatever I do study ought to be engaged in with all m)- 
soul, for I will be eminent in something. 

In accordance with the wishes of the trustees of 
Bowdoin, Longfellow went to France in 1826. In 
France, Spain, Italy, and Germany he spent three 
years, living among the people, learning their cus- 
toms and their languages, tramping in the country. 



HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW 233 

and utilizing every opportunity for self-improvement. 
Then, at the age of twenty-two, he became Professor 
of Modern Languages at Bowdoin. 

From the beginning of his college work he was 
a success. He was a favorite with the students, 
who loved him for his personal qualities and ad- 
mired him for his ability. The division of an 
ordinary day is given as follows : 

He rose at six in the morning, and, as soon as dressed, 
heard French recitation by the sophomores. At seven he 
breakfasted, and then he was his own master till eleven, 
when he gave a lesson in Spanish to the juniors. Then 
came lunch, with half an hour in the library amid his pupils. 
At five he had another French class ; at six he took coffee ; 
he walked and visited till nine ; studied and corrected exer- 
cises till twelve, and so to bed. 

For all this his pay was never more than a thou- 
sand dollars a year. During the five years spent 
at Bowdoin, his literary work was continued. 

Industry was rewarded when, in 1835, he was 
chosen Smith Professor of Modern Languages at 
Harvard University at a salary of fifteen hundred 
dollars a year, the first year to be spent, if he 
wished, in Europe. On this trip abroad he was 
accompanied by his wife, whom he had married 
in 183 1. She remained with him through the 
pleasant months in Sweden, but soon after going 



2 34 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

to Holland she died. It was of her he was think- 
ing when he wrote, in " Footsteps of Angels " : 

Oh, though oft depressed and lonely, 

All my fears are laid aside ; 
If I but remember only 

Such as these have lived and died. 

In Cambridge, where he began his Harvard 
work in 1836, he made his home in the old 
Craigie house, once the headquarters of George 
Washington. His own bedroom was that in which 
Washington had slept. 

While his college duties were carefully and 
painstakingly performed, his literary work was not 
interrupted. Poetry and prose were employed im- 
partially by the versatile writer, and he met with 
editorial favor, but it was not until "The Psalm 
of Life" was published anonymously in 1838 that 
any of his work became popular. Preachers talked 
of this poem from the pulpit. Parts of it were sung 
as a hymn. A year later Longfellow acknowledged 
the poem and printed it in a volume of collected 
verse. The prose romance " Hyperion " appeared 
at about the same time. 

As the years passed, other poems were published 
and were eagerly received. Soon the author became 
the popular American poet. He knew how to 



HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW 



235 



touch the hearts of young as well as old, and he 
is affectionately called " The Children's Poet." 

In 1854 the sale of his books was so large that 
he was able to resign his professorship. Then came 
a period of great 



fliig» 



i^ 




peace and happiness. 
For eleven years the 
Craigie house was 
made a real home 
by the presence of 
Mrs. Longfellow, his 
second wife. Honors 
were heaped upon 
him. His country- 
men loved him. 

His days were filled 
wdth happiness, until 
that sad day in July, 
1 86 1, when Mrs. 
Longfellow was so 
seriously burned that 
she died the next day. This great sorrow^ bore 
rich fruit for those who loved the poet. Much 
of his best work was done in the succeeding 
years. 

His last message, " The Bells of San Bias," was 
published a few days before his death. The last 



THE FRONT HALL, LONGFELLOW'S 
HOME, CAMBRIDGE 



236 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

three lines could not have been better framed if 
he had known they were to be his farewell 
message : 

Out of the shadow of night 

The world rolls into light, 

It is daybreak everywhere. 



References for Further Reading 

Kennedy, William S. Life of Longfellow. Saalfield Publishing 

Company, Akron, Ohio. 
Longfellow, Samuel. Life of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. 

Houghton MifBin Company, Boston. 
Robertson, E. S. Life of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. Charles 

Scribner's Sons, New York. 



t^^U>(MJAAlJWJAVUXMJ^VUX>^U^^^^ 



3 With malice toward none, with charity for all, with 

3 firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right. 

J . Abraham Lincoln n. 

^1 ' 



CHAPTER XVIII 

ABRAHAM LINCOLN, LIBERATOR 

(Born near Hodgenville, Kentucky, February 12, 1809; died in 
Washington, D. C, April 15, 1865) 

While Kentucky was still a wilderness, one of 
the pioneers, Abraham Lincoln, a hardy frontiers- 
man, was one day working with his three sons on 
the edge of the clearing near his cabin. A skulk- 
ing Indian fired from ambush and killed him. At 
once the eldest son, Mordecai, went to the cabin 
for a rifle, while his brother Josiah ran to the fort. 
When Mordecai, gun in hand, looked from the 
cabin, he was dismayed to see an Indian bending 
over the youngest brother, Thomas. A fortunate 
shot killed the Indian, and Thomas ran to the 
cabin. There Mordecai protected him until Josiah 
brought help and drove away the Indians. 

More than twenty years later Thomas Lincoln, 
whose life had been saved in this way, made a 

237 



238 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

cabin home for his wife, N'ancy Hanks. Here 
Abraham Lincoln was born. In this house, and 
in a house near by that was Httle better than 
the original cabin, he lived until he was seven 
years old. 

In 1 8 16 his father built a flatboat, loaded on 
this his household goods, and floated down the 
creek that passed through his farm to the Ohio, 
and then down the Ohio to a pleasant site for a 
house. From there he returned for his family. 
They traveled to the Ohio River on horseback, and 
from the river they went by wagon sixteen miles 
into Indiana. Winter w^as coming on, and a tem- 
porary log shelter was built. This was little more 
than a shed, being entirely open on one side, but 
it was a welcome refuge. There was no chimney, 
so fires had to be built on the ground before 
the shack. 

A year later a new cabin was so nearly com- 
pleted that the family could move into it. To be 
sure, there was no floor and no door. But what 
of that ? The Lincolns were so accustomed to 
hardship that these seemed small things to worry 
about. 

Joy over the house warming was soon turned to 
sorrow by the death of Abraham's mother, a 
woman of culture and refinement unusual for the 




ABRAHAM LINCOLN 



239 



240 



MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 



wilderness. Before she died she called her boy 
to her and said : 

I am going away from you, Abraham, and shall not re- 
turn. I know that you will be a good boy ; that you will be 
kind to Sarah and to your father. I want you to live as I 
have taught you, and to love your heavenly Father. 

The boy never for-- 
got her words. When 
he was a man he was 
proud to say, "All 
that I am, all that I 
hope to be, I owe to 
my angel mother." 

The forest home 
was a gloomy place 
until Mr. Lincoln, 
desiring to have his 
ABRAHAM LINCOLN'S BIRTHPLACE childrcn carcd tor 

by a woman's hands, 
married again in his old Kentucky home. Abraham 
and his sister grew to love their stepmother and 
to confide in her, and they were glad to help her 
about the house. "Abe never gave me a cross 
word or look, and never refused to do anything I 
asked him," was her testimony long afterwards ; " I 
must say that Abe was the best boy I ever saw 
or expect to see." 




ABRAHAM LINCOLN 241 

She helped the children study, and urged the 
necessity of a schoolhouse. This was built of logs. 
Instead of glass, oiled paper was used in the 
window openings. Not much more than reading, 
writing, and arithmetic were taught there, and 
this was only enough to whet the appetite of 
Abraham, who was beginning to be ravenous for 
knowledge. He used every opportunity to study. 
His arithmetic problems he worked out on a 
wooden shovel, writing with a charred stick. This 
shovel was much better than a tablet, for it was 
an easy matter to shave off the figures with a 
drawing knife and so be ready to start again on 
a clean surface. 

Only a few books could be found in the neigh- 
borhood, but he borrowed every volume he could 
lay his hands on. ^ sop's Fables was the first 
treasure. " Robinson Crusoe," " Pilgrim's Progress," 
Weems's " Life of Washington," and a history of 
the United States were later acquaintances. " As 
he read these," his stepmother said, " when he 
came across a passage that struck him, he would 
write it down on boards if he had no paper, and 
keep it there until he did get paper. Then he 
would rewrite it, look at it, repeat it. He had a 
copybook, a kind of scrapbook, in which he put 
down all things, and thus preserved them." 



242 



MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 



In answer to the question- of a friend, he him- 
self threw further Hght on how he secured his 
education : 

I never went to school more than six months in my 
life. . . . Among my eadiest recollections I remember how, 




THE BOY LINCOLN STUDYING 



when a mere child, I used to get irritated when anybody 
talked to me in a way that I could not understand. I can 
remember going to my little bedroom, after hearing the 
neighbors talk of an evening with my father, and spending 
no small part of the night trying to make out what was the 
exact meaning of some of their — to me — dark sayings. 
I could no more sleep, although I tried to, when on such a 
hunt for an idea, until I had caught it. And when I thought 



ABRAHAM LINCOLN 243 

I had got it, I was not satisfied until I had repeated it over 
and over again and had put it in language plain enough, as 
I thought, for any boy I knew to comprehend. 

Much fun was poked at the awkward young 
student who, at the age of eighteen, has been 
described as follows : 

He was six feet four in his buckskins and moccasins. 
He was ungainly as well as tall, and, withal, most homely 
to look upon. His big, protruding ears, standing out from 
his head, his mop of stiff brown hair, which looked as 
though it had never known a brush, his large, uncom- 
promising nose and mouth, with humorous hanging under- 
lip, crowned a stalky, big-boned figure, roughly clad in 
deer-hide coat and breeches, which he continued more and 
more to outgrow till at last a gap of bare bluish skin was 
exposed above the moccasins on his feet. 

Several trips were made by young Lincoln to 
New Orleans with a flatboat cargo of produce, 
which he floated down the Ohio and Mississippi 
rivers. It was on the second of these expeditions, 
in 183 1, that he saw a slave auction and spoke the 
never-to-be-forgotten words : " If ever I get a chance 
to hit that thing, I'll hit it hard." 

When his father moved to Illinois, Lincoln clerked 
in a store, split rails, continued his night studies, 
enlisted in the Black Hawk War, and, at the age 
of twenty-two, ran for the legislature and was 



244 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

defeated. Then he entered business with a part- 
ner who involved him in difficulties from which 
he might have escaped legally, but he insisted on 
assuming the debts and on these he made payments 
for fourteen years, at cost of rigorous self-denial. 




LINCOLN AS A STOREKEEPER 



Failure succeeded failure in his life ; but every 
one of these seeming failures had its part in the 
making of the man. When he led the company 
enlisted for the Black Hawk War, he knew so little 
of military tactics that when he wished to take these 
men through a gate he had to be content to say, 
"This company is dismissed for two minutes, when 



ABRAHAM LINCOLN 245 

it will fall in again on the other side of the gate." 
Yet his experiences in roughing it with the troops 
added to the education that did not come from 
books. When he failed as a shopkeeper, the failure 
brought out the deep-seated honesty that played a 
large part in winning for him the confidence and 
the affection of those who knew him. He thought 
of learning the blacksmith's trade, and even after 
he had committed himself to being a lawyer he 
thought he might perhaps do better as a carpenter. 
He tried surveying, and he did good work as a sur- 
veyor, but the work did not provide the living for 
which he hoped. However, from the day when he 
used a grapevine as a chain to the day when he 
completed the task of laying out the town of Peters- 
burg, Illinois, his experience as a surveyor entered 
into the development of his character. 

Several times he was defeated when he asked 
the favor of the people at the polls, but after each 
defeat he was stronger as a man and more popular 
with the voters. He sought an appointment from 
President Taylor, and was disappointed. This expe- 
rience served only to enrich his character, for when, 
a dozen years later, it was in his power to appoint 
to ofHce the son of the man who secured the place 
he had wanted, he rejoiced that he could be of 
service to the candidate. 



246 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

His ambition to become a lawyer was born when 
he read a volume of Blackstone, bought with a bar- 
rel of miscellaneous goods. The story of how he 
fought his way to the bar is inspiring. He persisted 
in surmounting every difficulty. He once wrote : 

In the course of my law reading I constantly came upon 
the word ''demonstrate." I thought at first that I under- 
stood its meaning, but soon became satisfied that I did not. 
I consulted Webster's Dictionary. That told of certain proof, 
"proof beyond the possibility of doubt," but I could form 
no sort of idea what kind of proof that was. I consulted 
all the dictionaries and books of reference I could find, but 
with no better results. You might as well have defined 
"blue" to a blind man. At last I said, "Lincoln, you can 
never make a lawyer if you do not understand what ' demon- 
strate' means," and so I left my situation in Springfield, 
went down to my mother's house, and stayed there until 
I could give any proposition in Euclid at sight. I then 
found out what "demonstrate" meant, and went back to 
my law studies. 

One reason he wished to be a lawyer was that he 
might prove the fallacy of the belief of some cynical 
people that there was no such thing as an honest 
lawyer. Once he said to young men : 

Let no man choosing the law for a calling yield to that 
popular belief. If in your judgment you cannot be an honest 
lawyer, resolve to be honest without being a lawyer. Choose 



ABRAHAM LINCOLN 247 

some other occupation rather than one in the choosing of 
which you do in advance consent to be a knave. 

This high conception of the lawyer's calhng was 
not mere finespun theory. From beginning to end his 
legal career showed his determination to live in strict 
accordance with his professions. His practice was in 
keeping with the advice later given to other lawyers : 

Discourage litigation. Persuade your neighbors to com- 
promise whenever you can. Point out to them how the 
nominal winner is often the real loser — in fees, expenses, 
and waste of time. As a peacemaker the lawyer has a supe- 
rior opportunity of becoming a good man. There will always 
be enough business. Never stir up litigation. A worse man 
can scarcely be found than one who does this. 

Once, when declining to take a case, he spoke 
words which deserve to be remembered : 

Yes, we can doubtless gain your case for you ; we can 
set a whole neighborhood at loggerheads ; we can distress a 
widowed mother and her six fatherless children, and thereby 
get for you six hundred dollars to which you seem to have 
legal claim, but which rightfully belongs, it seems to me, as 
much to the woman and her children as it does to you. You 
must remember, however, that some things legally right are 
not morally right. We shall not take your case, but we will 
give you a little advice for which we will charge you noth- 
ing. You seem to be a sprightly, energetic man. We would 
advise you to try your hand at making six hundred dollars 
in some other way. 



248^ MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

On another occasion, when his partner urged him 
to take advantage of a quibble, Lincoln said : 

You know it is a sham, and a sham is often but another 
name for a lie. Don't let it go on record. The cursed thing 
may come staring us in the face long after this suit has been 
forgotten. 

Honors came rapidly to the honest man. He 
served in Congress. When the Republican party 
in Illinois was born, at Bloomington, in 1856, he 
received one hundred and ten votes for the vice 
presidency. Here he made his first great speech 
on the slavery question. Herndon, one of his 
biographers, said : 

If Mr. Lincoln was six feet four inches high usually, at 
Bloomington he was seven feet, and inspired at that. From 
that day to the day of his death he stood firm on the right. 
He felt his great cross, had his great idea, nursed it, kept 
it, taught it to others, and in his fidelity bare witness of it 
to his death, and finally sealed it with his precious blood. 

Lincoln's one ambition was to serve his fellows. 
He sought office, but he was modest and he was 
never a self-seeker. In 1856, when he was told that 
he had been considered for the vice presidency, he 
could not believe that he was the man in the minds 
of the convention. " No, it could not be, it must 
have been the great Lincoln of Massachusetts," he 



ABRAHAM LINCOLN 249 

said. After his delivery of what is known as one of 
his most famous speeches, he was told by a friend 
that this would defeat him, and perhaps kill him 
politically for all time. " If I had to draw a pen 
across and erase my whole life from existence," he 
replied, "and I had one poor gift or choice left me 
as to what I should save from the wreck, I should 
choose that speech, and leave it to the world un- 
erased." When his name was first mentioned for the 
presidency, he said that there were distinguished 
men in the party who were more worthy than he 
of the nomination, and whose public service enti- 
tled them to it. Again, he said that he scarcely 
considered himself a big enough man for President. 
But the people thought differently. He was called 
to the presidency at the crisis of the national life. 
Then came the years for which he had been uncon- 
sciously equipping himself, the long, bitter years of 
the war, when all the strength, the tenderness, the 
humor, the patience, the sympathy, and the persist- 
ence of his wonderful nature were called into play. 
When he began his work, he did not have the entire 
confidence of his own party. As the years went by, 
he was left to bear the burden alone. But he had 
put his hand to the plow, and he would not turn 
back. The day came when he had the chance for 
which he had longed since his first visit to the New 



250 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

Orleans slave market, and he " hit that thing hard " 
with the Emancipation Proclamation. He was 
bitterly maligned by those who could not under- 
stand him, yet he had only kindly words for them. 
When the country was criticizing the generals in the 
field, he was eager to give them messages of cheer. 
Once he sent word to Rosecrans, " I can never 
forget, whilst I remember anything, that . . . you 
gave us a hard-earned victory." And again, " Be 
of good cheer ; we have unabated confidence in 
you." Politicians made fun of him for telling his 
droll, pointed stories, but it was in just such ways 
that he found the needed escape valve for his 
overburdened heart. 

By his unselfish thoughtfulness and frank manli- 
ness he was ever winning those who opposed him, 
as, in i860, he won a Southern visitor. One who 
witnessed the interview between the two men said, 
"It was beautiful to see the cold flash of the South- 
erner's dark eyes yield to a warm glow, and the 
haughty constraint melt into frank good nature." 
To this observer the Southerner said after the in- 
terview was over, " There 's going to be war ; but 
could my people know what I have learned within 
the last hour, there need be no war." 

Thus he was fulfilling his boyhood ambition " to 
live like Washington." General Grant said, a short 



ABRAHAM LINCOLN 251 

time before Lincoln's death, "He will take rank in 
history alongside of Washington." And after Lin- 
coln's reelection in 1864, Seward said, "Abraham 
Lincoln will take his place with Washington and 
Franklin and Jefferson and Adams and Jackson — 
among the benefactors of his country and of the 
human race." 

He won his deathless fame at fearful cost. An 
old acquaintance who saw him after several years 
of his life as President, said : 

His old friends were shocked with the change in his ap- 
pearance. They had known him at his home, and at the 
courts in IlHnois, with a frame of iron and nerves of steel ; 
as a man who hardly knew what illness was, ever genial 
and sparkling with frolic and fun, nearly always cheery and 
bright. Now they saw the wrinkles on his face and fore- 
head deepen into furrows ; the laugh of the old days was 
less frequent, and it did not seem to come from the heart. 
Anxiety, responsibility, care, thought, disasters, defeats, the 
injustice of friends, wore upon his giant frame, and the 
nerves of steel became at times irritable. He said one day, 
with a pathos which language cannot describe, '' I feel as 
though I shall never be glad again." 

In November, 1864, when burdens were more 
than ever oppressive, he found time to write a 
letter to a mother grieving for her sons. This was 
his thoughtful word : 



252 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

Dear Madam : I have been shown in the files of the War 
Department a statement of the Adjutant-General of Massa- 
chusetts, that you are the mother of five sons who have died 
gloriously on the field of battle. I feel how weak and point- 
less must be any words of mine which should attempt to 
beguile you from the grief of a loss so overwhelming. But 
I cannot refrain from tendering to you the consolation that 
may be found in the thanks of the Republic they died to 
save. I pray that our Heavenly Father may assuage the 
anguish of your bereavement and leave you only the cher- 
ished memory of the loved and lost, and the solemn pride 
that must be yours to have laid so costly a sacrifice upon 
the altar of freedom. 

Less than five months after that letter was 
written, his own life was " laid a sacrifice upon the 
altar of freedom." On April 14, 1865, the assassin 
gave him his death wound. Next day died the man 
w^ho guided the country in its darkest hours ; who 
in life blessed all he touched, and in death was 
mourned not only by sorrowing millions in the 
North but also by far-seeing leaders in the South 
who felt, with Jefferson Davis, that his death was 
a calamity to the entire nation. 

To him the author of " The Every Day Life of 
Abraham Lincoln " applies the words which Lincoln 
spoke of the soldiers in his matchless address at 
Gettysburg. After telling of the burial at Spring- 
field of the weary martyr, the biographer said : 



ABRAHAM LINCOLN 253 

And here, while the Government that he saved endures, 
shall throng his patriot countrymen, not idly to lament his 
loss, but to resolve that from this honored dead they take 
increased devotion to that cause for which he gave the last 
full measure of devotion ; that the dead shall not have died 
in vain ; that the nation, under God, shall have a new birth 
of freedom ; and that government of the people, by the 
people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth. 

References for Further Reading 

Browne, Francis F. The Every Day Life of Abraham Lincoln. 

G. P. Putnam's Sons, New York. 
Hill, Frederick Trevor. Lincoln the Lawyer. The Century Co., 

New York. 
Morgan, James. Abraham Lincoln, the Boy and the Man. The 

Macmillan Company, New York. 
Nicolay, Helen. The Boys' Life of Abraham Lincoln. The Century 

Co., New York. 



sVJJX^UtAUJ^UJAUXVW^MJJVV.^^^ 



I will succeed. 

C. H. McCoRMICK 






CHAPTER XIX 

CYRUS HALL McCORMICK, INVENTOR OF 
THE REAPER 

(Born in Rockbridge County, Virginia, February 15, 1809; died in 
Chicago, Illinois, May 13, 1884) 

One winter morning when Cyrus McCormick 
was a boy, he surprised his teacher by bringing 
to school a map of the world which he had made 
himself. The two hemispheres were shown side by 
side. They had been drawn with ink on paper, the 
paper had been pasted on linen, and the linen had 
been mounted on two rollers. " That boy is beyond 
me " was the remark of the teacher who examined 
the map. 

Cyrus had done work in the blacksmith shop on 
the home farm. There, from early years, he had 
watched his father fashion the curious machines he 
used on his farm. There the lad had become so 
accustomed to the use of tools that about the time 

254 



CYRUS HALL McCORMICK 



255 



he made the map he constructed a harvesting 
cradle which was better adapted to a boy's use 
than was the ordinary cradle. In 1831 he planned 
and built a hillside plow. Two years later he made 
a self-sharpening 
plow, which threw 
alternate furrows 
to right and left. 
Something might 
have been made 
of these inven- 
tions, but he for- 
got them in his 
enthusiastic inter- 
est in the model 
of a crude reaper 
built by his father, 
which had been 
tested in 18 1 8 and 
had been stored 
in the shop be- 
cause it had been 

a failure. Later he watched his father construct a 
new machine. When this was tested, in 1831, he 
was as much disappointed as his father at the 
failure of this model also. By observation and 
reasoning he learned that the earlier model would 




CYRUS H. McCORMICK 



256 



MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 



cut the wheat when the grain was perfectly straight, 
but that it was useless when the grain was the 
least bit matted or beaten down by wind or rain, 
and that the later model would fling the grain in 
a tangled heap. He thought of plans for correcting 




THE OLD BLACKSMITH SHOP WHERE THE FIRST REAPER WAS MADE 

these faults, and longed to make a model that he 
might test ideas that seemed to promise success. 

His father urged him to give up all thought of 
the invention, but Cyrus had a vision of what a 
reaper would mean to the world, and he began to 
build a practical machine. When, one by one, 
difficulties presented themselves, he said, with 



CYRUS HALL McCORMICK 257 

determination, " I will succeed." Early and late 
he was in the blacksmith shop, testing many con- 
trivances, and taking courage from the thought 
that some day he would complete a machine that 
would help in the solution of the farmer's problems. 



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INTERIOR VIEW OF BLACKSMITH SHOP 

At the outset he saw the necessity of finding a 
new principle of operation. His father's method had 
failed ; he must have something entirely different, 
and not merely an improvement on the plan that 
had proved a failure. He saw that if a machine 
could be constructed to cut grain which lay in a 
fallen and tangled mass, it would be sure to work 



258 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

well under more favorable conditions. If a reaper 
was to cut such grain, it would first have to sepa- 
rate the grain to be cut from the grain to be left 
standing. So the first thing needed was a curved 
arm, a divider. 

The second distinctive feature of the new reaper 
was a knife which had two motions, a motion for- 
ward, imparted by the horses, and a motion sideways. 
After much thought he perfected the reciprocating 
blade, similar to that used to-day on all reaping 
and mowing machines. He did not know that the 
same plan had occurred to others; he worked out 
his ideas for himself. 

By a third contrivance, the placing of a row of 
fingers at the edge of the blade, he planned that 
the grain should be supported while it was being 
cut ; otherwise it would be flattened on the ground 
without being cut. 

Next the young inventor saw the need of some- 
thing to press the grain stalks between the fingers, 
hold them against the knife, and, after they were 
cut, lay them on the platform. A revolving reel 
was tried successfully; this reel was much larger 
than similar reels used by other inventors. 

Other features were the platform on which the 
grain was to fall, and from which it was to be raked 
by hand, and the big driving wheel to carry the 



CYRUS HALL McCORMICK 259 

weight of the reaper and to furnish power for all 
the other contrivances. 

The first test of the reaper was made before the 
addition of the reel, in a field on the McCormick 
farm. Only members of the family watched Cyrus 
as he hitched a horse to the machine and ap- 
proached the waving grain. All held their breath. 




MODEL OF THE FIRST REAPER 



Would it work ? The question was answered 
almost as soon as it was asked. The cutting was 
done smoothly by the reciprocating blade, and the 
fallen stalks were thrown on the platform and raked 
off according to plan. The test was a success. It 
was apparent that several improvements could be 
made in the crude machine, but the inventor saw 
no reason to change it in any essential part. In 
fact, the Virginia farm boy's reaper was the first 



26o MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

practical combination of principles, invented by 
himself, which are now regarded as basic. 

Several days later, after minor adjustments had 
been made, young McCormick gave a public exhibi- 
tion on the farm of John Steele, not far from the 
home farm. That afternoon several acres of wheat 
were reaped, though a man with a cradle could cut 
but one acre in an afternoon. " Well, I am proud 
that I have a son who could accomplish what I 
failed to do," was the father's later comment. 

In 1 83 1 a second public exhibition was given 
at Lexington, eighteen miles from home, in the 
presence of more than one hundred men. The 
ow^ner of the farm who had promised to permit 
the test in his field was skeptical of the ability of 
McCormick to do what he said he could do. Skep- 
ticism became hostility when, on account of the 
rough nature of the ground, the reaper made a 
great clatter. Almost at once the farmer called on 
the driver to stop, because he w^as rattling the heads 
off the wheat. One bystander therefore declared 
that the machine was a humbug, while another 
cried, " Give me the old cradle yet, boys." Fortu- 
nately, a man who owned an adjoining field invited 
the anxious inventor to pull down the fence and 
cross over into his wheat. Here several acres were 
cut, to the entire satisfaction of the owner. 



CYRUS HALL McCORMICK 26 1 

The first advertisement of the McCormick reaper 
appeared in The Lexmgton Union of September 14, 
1833, though the patent was not secured until 1834. 
The price fixed was fifty dollars. There was no 
response. Not until 1840 did a farmer venture to 
buy one of the machines. During these years Cyrus 
and his father continued their experiments, doing 
all they could to perfect the machine. 

Years later, when applying for an extension of 
patent rights, Mr. McCormick wrote to the Com- 
missioner of Patents: 

From the experiment of 183 1 until the harvest of 1840 
I did not sell a single reaper, except one which I after- 
wards took back, although during that time I had many 
exhibitions of it, and received favorable notices of those 
exhibitions, but experience proved to me that it was best 
for the public, as well as myself, that no sales be made, as 
defects presented themselves which would have rendered 
the reaper unprofitable in other hands. From time to time 
a great many improvements were found necessary, requiring 
a great deal of thought and study. Sometimes flattered, at 
others discouraged, and at all times deeming it best not to 
attempt sales of machines or rights to manufacture them 
until satisfied that the reaper would succeed well. 

During this period the inventor built a furnace 
and began the manufacture of iron. In the financial 
panic of 1837 ^^^ lost not only his furnace but his 
farm and all his other possessions. 



262 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

Together with his father and his two brothers 
he turned to the manufacture of reapers as the 
most hkely way to pay off their debts. One ma- 
chine was built and sold for the harvest of 1840; 
two years later seven were disposed of; in 1844 
fifty more found their way from the primitive shop. 
The following year fifty were manufactured at Wal- 
nut Grove, while about one hundred and seventy 
were made elsewhere. At first it was impossible 
to fill all the orders ; there were many difiiculties 
in the manufacturers' way. For instance, at one 
time sickles were made forty miles from the shop, 
and it was necessary to carry them home on horse- 
back. It was even more difficult to ship the com- 
pleted reapers. When the first machines were sent 
West, they were taken in wagons from the home 
farm to Scotsville, then to Richmond, Virginia, and 
from there to New Orleans by sea, and to Cincin- 
nati up the Ohio and Mississippi rivers. 

Mr. McCormick thought an easier way of reach- 
ing the West must be found, for in the West his 
machines were most needed. Tens of thousands of 
bushels of wheat were going to waste every year, 
in Ohio and Indiana and Illinois alone, because the 
farmers could not gather the wheat in season. 

So the inventor ventured to go to Brockport, 
New York, and then to Cincinnati, Ohio. In both 



CYRUS HALL McCORMICK 



263 



places reapers were manufactured for a time. The 
next move was to Chicago, where he opened a 
modest factory. Soon he was manufacturing hun- 
dreds of machines each year. Thus he made it 
possible to gather the wheat in time to save it. 




A AiUDLRiN KkAi'KK 



In 185 1 the reaper was exhibited at the World's 
Fair in London. The editor of the London Times 
made fun of it before one of his reporters saw it 
at work, but after this reporter had looked on in 
wonder at a test in the fields, the Times said: 

It will be remembered that the American department 
was at first regarded as the poorest and least interesting of 



264 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

all foreign countries. Of late it has justly assumed a posi- 
tion of the first importance, as having brought to the aid 
of our distressed agriculturists a machine, which if it realizes 
the anticipations of competent judges, will amply remuner- 
ate England for all her outlay connected with the great 
exhibition. The reaping machine from the United States 
is the most valuable contribution from abroad to the stock 
of our previous knowledge that we have yet discovered, and 
several facts in connection with it are not a little remarkable. 

Of the reaper's part in the development of 
America, William Henry Seward once said: "It 
has pushed the American frontier westward at the 
rate of thirty miles a year." Commissioner of 
Patents D. P. Hollo way said : 

Cyrus H. McCormick is an inventor whose fame, while 
he is yet living, has spread throughout the world. His 
genius has done honor to his own country, and has been 
the admiration of foreign nations, and he will live in the 
grateful recollection of mankind as long as the reaping 
machine is employed in gathering the harvest. 

The French Academy of Sciences, in electing 
him a member in 1878, declared that he had " done 
more for the cause of agriculture than any other 
living man." 

Mr. McCormick lived for more than fifty years 
after he secured his first patent. Great wealth be- 
came his as a result of his labor, but this was not 



CYRUS HALL McCORMICK 265 

selfishly used. Large gifts were wisely made to 
many causes. In 1859, not long after he had laid 
aside his first million dollars, he gave one hundred 
thousand dollars to the Theological Seminary of 
the Northwest. Later the institution was called the 
McCormick Theological Seminary, in his honor. 
This gift was followed by many others, both to this 
and similar institutions. He believed that the pos- 
sessor of wealth should use it for his fellow men. 

References for Further Readinc; 

Casson, Herbert N. Cyrus Hall McCormick: his Life and Work. 

A. C. McClurg and Company, Chicago. 
Casson, Herbert N. The Romance of the Reaper. Doubleday, Page 

and Company, New York. 
Cyrus Hall McCormick and the Reaper. Wisconsin Historical Society, 

Madison, Wisconsin. 



.;sU^ U^MJAM^!UUXVW/AUMUA^W^ 



I cherish the hope that the journal I projected and 
established will live and flourish long after I shall have 
mouldered into forgotten dust. 

Horace Greeley 



:frs\rAYy/AYyAY//^>fYn^Y/^>^^ 



CHAPTER XX 

HORACE GREELEY, JOURNALIST 

(Born in Amherst, New Hampshire, February 3, 1811; died near 
Chappaqua, New York, November 29, 1872) 

On a gloomy Monday morning in the year 1820, 
a poor little cottage on a stony New Hampshire 
farm was the home of a father and mother and four 
children. At midday the house was empty; the 
sheriff had taken possession of furniture, clothing, 
farming implements, and cattle, and had driven the 
family away. The explanation was given that credi- 
tors had attached for debt the farm and all the 
rest of the property of the father. A white-haired 
boy of nine, clad only in shirt and trousers of 
homespun, looked on in wonder and distress. At 
last he realized that the day was the beginning 
of a new chapter of hardships. He was not es- 
pecially disturbed, for he was used to hardship, 

but he resolved then and there that he would 

266 



HORACE GREELEY 267 

do his best to help the members of the household 
out of their difficulties. 

The white-haired boy was Horace Greeley, who, 
almost as soon as he was able to walk, had begun 
to help his father in his efforts to make a home 
in an inhospitable spot. At five he dropped corn 
and killed insects while his father hoed. Soon it 
became his duty to " ride horse to plough." Years 
later, he wrote, " Occasionally the plough would 
strike a fast stone, and bring up the team all stand- 
ing, pitching me over the horse's head, and landing 
me three to five feet in front." 

He was only ten when he became one of his 
father's two assistants in clearing for a neighbor a 
tract of fifty acres of wild land. The work was 
begun in early spring, when the water and slush 
were knee-deep. Men who understood such work 
declared that the boys who helped their father 
would be grown men before the tract was ready for 
the plow. 

The constant exposure to thistles made this 
and other farm work especially trying to Horace. 
Almost every evening he had to submit to the 
torture of having the spines dug out of his feet. 

But the evenings brought pleasure as well as 
pain. Mrs. Greeley, although frequently busy on 
the farm, where she raked and hoed, or even 



268 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

loaded the hay wagons, had time to tell stories to 
her children and to help them with their studies. 
From her Horace early learned to read, and reading 




HORACE GREELEY 



soon became a passion. A book was nearly 
always in his hands, from early morning till late 
at night. During the day, if this was at all pos- 
sible, he would carry a volume as he went to his 



HORACE GREELEY 269 

work; at night, after lighting one of a supply of 
pine knots which he kept for the purpose, he would 
'^ put it on the backlog in the spacious fireplace, 
pile up his schoolbooks and his reading books on 
the floor, lie down on his back on the hearth with 
his head to the fire and his feet coiled away out of 
the reach of stumblers, and there he would lie and 
read all through the long winter evenings, silent, 
motionless, dead to the world around him." 

School opportunities were limited. Many times 
during the winter he would have to work from 
early morning until schooltime. Early in his first 
year it was realized that he was an exceptional 
pupil. He was at the head of his class. Several 
years later the special privilege of attending school 
at Bedford, outside of his district, was granted to 
him, the directors of the Bedford school voting that 
" no pupils from other towns should be received, 
except Horace Greeley alone." 

When the family lost their New Hampshire 
home for debt, a sleigh was borrowed from a 
neighbor and into this they were loaded, with all 
their possessions, and taken to Westhaven, Ver- 
mont, where a new home was made in a tiny 
house rented for sixteen dollars a year. There 
they began life anew with " the clothes they wore, 
a bed or two, a few domestic utensils, an antique 



270 



MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 



chest and one or two other small relics of their 
former state." During the first winter the family 
dinner was frequently taken from a five-quart milk 
pan filled with bran porridge, placed on the kitchen 
floor; everybody dipped from the common dish. 




THE KITCHEN OF A PROSPEROUS HOME IN GREELEY'S DAY 

It has been estimated that during the five 
years at Westhaven, Horace's clothes did not 
cost three dollars per year. His summer dress — 
" a straw hat, a tow shirt, never buttoned, a pair 
of trousers made of the family material and having 
the peculiarity of being very short in both legs, 
though shorter in one than the other " — received 
in winter the addition of a jacket and a rough 
pair of shoes. 



HORACE GREELEY 27 I 

The boy soon decided that he must leave home 
and earn money to help his father. Even when 
he was six he had wished to be a printer. When 
he was eleven he walked to Whitehall, New York, 
nine miles from his home, and applied for work 
in the little printing office there ; but he was sent 
home because he was too young. Four years 
later he saw in the Northern Spectator of East 
Poultney, Vermont, an advertisement for a boy. 
After walking eleven miles to the office, he made 
his application for employment. 

It was a strange apparition that greeted Editor 
Bliss, for Horace was an odd-looking boy. Many 
who saw him declared that he looked like a fool. 
Mr. Bliss was at first inclined to take the same 
view, but he did not talk with the boy long before 
he decided that the applicant had an unusual mind, 
that he was intelligent far beyond his years, and 
that it would be worth while to hire him. 

After a trip home to consult his father, Horace 
returned with all he owned in a handkerchief, 
carried at the end of a stick over his shoulder. 
Arrangements were made at once for an appren- 
ticeship to last until he was twenty-one. For the 
first six months board only was to be paid, but 
for the remainder of the time the pay was to be 
forty dollars a year and board. 



272 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

At Poultney young Greeiey worked steadily. 
Almost his only recreation was the Poultney 
Debating Society. There he was on equal terms 
with the editor, the doctor, the clergyman, the 
judge, and other leaders of the community's 
thought. One of the villagers said later, " He 
was never treated as a boy in the society, but as 
a man and an equal." 

Soon after the beginning of the apprenticeship 
Horace's father moved to Erie, Pennsylvania. 
Twice during the stay in East Poultney the duti- 
ful son walked the distance of six hundred miles 
to the new home and back. On both occasions, 
before returning to the printing ofiice, he left 
with his father practically all of the wages he had 
received, for he seldom spent anything on himself. 

The failure of the Spectator sent him to Erie 
County again. After several ineffectual attempts 
to secure paying work nearer home, he walked 
thirty miles to Erie and was given a case in the 
office of the Gazette. There, for seven months, 
he drew no wages. His employer finally urged 
him to take some of the money due him and 
spend it for clothes, to replace the " outlandish 
rig " he was wearing. But he replied, " You see, 
Mr. Sterrett, my father is on a new place, and I 
want to help him all I can." When he left the 



HORACE GREELEY 



273 



office all his wages but six dollars were still clue. 
When he was paid, he retained fifteen dollars for 
himself and gave the balance to his father. 

Determined to make the next venture in New 
York City, he walked to the Erie Canal, again 
carrying his bun- 
dle at the end of 
a shoulder stick. 
After traveling by 
canal and river he 
reached the city 
with ten dollars 
in his pocket, the 
clothes which had 
attracted so much 
attention in Erie, 
and his little bun- 
dle. At once he 
began his hunt 
for work. Up and 

down New York he trudged, trying office after 
office, only to be curtly refused on account of his 
appearance or because he was thought to be a 
runaway apprentice. 

At last he learned of an office where a man 
was needed and he was on hand soon after five 
in the morning. When the foreman appeared 




BICYCLE RIDING WHEN GREELEY WAS A BOY 



2 74 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

Horace was given a chance to set a small New 
Testament. On account of technical difficulties 
that would make an ordinary printer desperate, 
no one of those to whom the book had been 
given was willing to keep at it more than a 
short time. But to the determined Greeley this 
was a chance not to be despised. It was by far 
the most difficult work he had ever attempted, 
but, as he could not afford to make a poor show- 
ing, and as the pay was to be in proportion to 
the amount accomplished each day, he gave him- 
self with ardor to the task in hand. When the 
proprietor saw him at work, he asked the fore- 
man : " Did you hire that fool ? Pay him off 
to-night, and let him go about his business." 
But at the end of the day it was found by the 
proprietor that the new employee had done better 
work than any of his predecessors, and he was 
retained. 

The work was so difficult and the pay was so 
small that Horace found it necessary to work 
fourteen hours a day, beginning before breakfast 
and continuing long after supper. His total weekly 
earnings were only from five to six dollars, but 
he managed to save money. 

After a period of working for others, Greeley 
arranged to put his small savings into publishing 



HORACE GREELEY 275 

the first penny paper ever printed, The Mor^iing 
Post. The journal hved three weeks. Undiscour- 
aged, Greeley started the weekly Nezv Yorker, 
independently. This bright political paper lived 
during seven years of continual struggle with 
debt. The circulation reached nine thousand, but 
so many subscribers would not pay their bills 
that the editor and publisher was nearly dis- 
tracted, especially as he was now married and 
was therefore trying to pay the expenses of two 
homes. Urged to discontinue the publication, he 
said he could not do so in justice to the sub- 
scribers who had paid in advance, to whom he 
could not refund the amounts due. His horror 
of debt made the situation especially trying. 
Once he said : 

I would rather be a convict in a state prison, a slave 
in a rice swamp, than to pass through life under the 
harrow of debt. Hunger, cold, rags, hard work, con- 
tempt, suspicion, unjust reproach, are disagreeable, but 
debt is infinitely worse than them all. 

One by one difficulties disappeared as he 
became editor, on salary, of The Jeffersonian, a 
political paper. Later he was engaged also in 
publishing The Log Cabin, which reached a cir- 
culation of ninety thousand. 



276 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

On April 10, 1841, he issned the first number 
of the New York Tribune. Success did not come 
at once, but with determination he fought the 
obstacles in his way, and in seven weeks he was 
issuing eleven thousand copies a day. He worked 
sixteen hours out of the twenty-four, and inspired 
his helpers to give their best services to the paper. 

From the beginning the editor of the Tribune 
was a national figure. Soon his reputation became 
international. It was not, however, until 1848 
that he was elected to his first office, a seat in 
the House of Representatives at Washington. 
From that time he devoted his strength to serv- 
ing his country's interests as he saw these. 
Through the columns of the Tribune during the 
days before the Civil War he had a large part 
in arousing the conscience of the nation as to 
the necessity of maintaining the Union at any 
cost, and after the war he was so persistent in 
urging full pardon for those who had taken up 
arms against the nation that many turned against 
him. The immediate effect was his defeat for the 
United States Senate. Later the wisdom of his 
comments became apparent. In 1872 he was 
defeated for the presidency, though he was the 
nominee of both the Liberal and Democratic 
parties, and received nearly three million votes. 



HORACE GREELEY 277 

He died a few weeks after the election. He 
was only sixty-one years old, but he had worked 
so hard that he seemed an old man. 

He has the monument he wished for in the 
paper he struggled to build up. " I cherish the 
hope," he once said, " that the journal I projected 
and established will live and flourish long after 
I shall have mouldered into forgotten dust, and 
that the stone which covers my ashes may bear 
to future eyes the still intelligible inscription, 
' Founder of the A^eiu York Tridiuie! " 

References for Further Reading 

Greeley, Horace. Recollections of a Busy Life. J. B. Ford & 
Company, New York, 1868. 

Linn, William Alexander. Horace Greeley. D. Appleton and Com- 
pany, New York. 

Parton, James. Life of Horace Greeley. Houghton Mifflin Company, 
Boston. 









Suppose you do not succeed, that you make the attempt 

and fail, your cable lost at the bottom of the ocean, then 

what will you do ? ^ 

•' The query of a friend 

Charge it to profit and loss and lay another. 

Cyrus W. Field 



CHAPTER XXI 

CYRUS W. FIELD, WHO LAID THE FIRST 
OCEAN CABLE 

(Born in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, November 30, 1819; died at 
Irvington-on-the-Hudson, New York, July 12, 1892) 

Cyrus Field's boyhood was spent in a New Eng- 
land parsonage, where his parents taught him to 
give strict obedience always. But the father, David 
Dudley Field, knew how to win the confidence of 
his children ; they were never afraid of him. An 
incident related of the son illustrates this fact: 

A hen was setting in a box in the woodshed ; each 
morning Cyrus looked for the little chickens. One day, in 
an adjoining box, he found the family cat with a number 
of kittens. These he placed with the hen, and then with a 
very straight face asked his father to come and see the 

chickens. 

278 



CYRUS W. FIELD 279 

Cyrus always declared that one of his brothers 
was the hero of the following story, yet the neighbors 
insisted that Cyrus himself played the chief part : 

A certain rat trap . . . had been lost. After much search 
and questioning the minister gave orders that whenever 
found it should be 
brought at once to him. 
So one day at a service, 
when the service was in 
full progress, there came 
a clanging noise up the 
aisle and the missing 
article was set down in 
front of the pulpit with 
the words, " Father, 
here is your rat trap." 

On one occasion 
the minister dis- 
covered a pack of 
playing cards in the 
possession of Cyrus 

and his brothers. He put them away in his study 
table. One day the villagers were called together by 
an alarm of fire from the parsonage. Volunteers who 
tried to save the furniture threw the study table out 
of the window. The drawers fell out as the table 
tumbled to the ground, and the playing cards flut- 
tered before the eyes of the pastor's startled people. 




CYRUS W. FIELD 



28o MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

By the time Cyrus was fifteen years old he 
thought he ought to make his own hving. When, 
with the consent of his parents, he left Stockbridge 
for New York City, he felt rich with eight dollars 
in his pocket. His father's good-by message was, 
" Cyrus, I feel sure you will succeed, for your play- 
mates could never get you off to play until all the 
work for which you were responsible was done." 

On one of the first Sundays in New York, spent 
at the home of his brother David, his homesick- 
ness was so evident that he was teased about it. 
Dr. Mark Hopkins, who was also a guest in the 
home, put him at his ease by saying, " I would not 
give much for a boy if he were not homesick on 
leaving home." 

Cyrus's first employment was as errand boy in 
the store of A. T. Stewart. For the first year he 
was to receive fifty dollars, for the second he was 
to have one hundred dollars. Board cost two dollars 
a week. From his brother he borrowed money to 
pay bills for which his salary was insufficient. All 
the funds advanced in this way he repaid, with 
interest, after he was twenty-one. 

In later years, when telling the story of his early 
struggles in New York, he spoke of the fact that he 
always made it a point to be at the store before the 
porters came, and never to leave before the porters 



CYRUS W. FIELD 28 1 

left. The knowledge that every dollar which passed 
through his hands represented six days of such toil 
was a factor in teaching him the value of money. 
He could tell at any time exactly how his funds had 
been spent, for his accounts were kept with accu- 
racy. The first itemized statement of his expenses 
in the city, as sent to his father, is worth reading : 

From Stockbridge to New York 2.00 

Paid to David for Penny Magazines (I am 

not agoing to take them any longer) 2.00 
To hair cutting 12 1-2 

To one vial of spirits of turpentine (Used 

to get some spots out of coat) 6 1-4 

To get Shoes mended 18 3-4 

To one pair of shoe brushes 25 

To one box of blacking 12 1-2 

To get trunks carried from David's to my 

boarding house 25 

To two papers of tobacco to put in trunks 

to prevent moths getting in 12 1-2 

To one straw hat (the one I brought from 
home got burned and was so dirty 
that David thought I had better get 
a new one) i.oo 

To one steel pen 12 1-2 

To small expenses from time to time, such 
as riding in an omnibus, going to 
Brooklyn, etc. 1.25 

7^50 



282 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

After three years with Mr. Stewart, Cyrus went 
to Lee, Massachusetts, to keep books for his brother 
Matthew, a paper manufacturer. For several months 
before leaving the city he attended night school, 
studying double-entry bookkeeping, that he might 
be worth the two hundred and fifty dollars a year, 
with board and washing, which he was to be paid 
for his services. 

Experience gained with his brother and during 
a few months when he was in business on his own 
account prepared him to become the partner of a 
New York paper dealer. The move was unfortu- 
nate, for six months later the firm failed. Mr. Field, 
though he was the junior partner, decided to as- 
sume the firm's debts rather than leave them un- 
paid. The law did not oblige him to do this, 
but he wished to do all that the strictest honesty 
required. 

Then came a hard struggle to pay debts and to 
make a living for himself and his family. The ex- 
penses of the household were small, and accurate 
account was kept of them. Little by little the 
debts were paid, with interest, and Mr. Field began 
to breathe more freely. In 1844 he did not owe 
a dollar. In 1853 he was worth several hundred 
thousand dollars. He wrote for his children's eyes 
this explanation of his rapid progress: 



CYRUS W. FIELD 283 

There was no luck about my success, which was remark- 
able. It was not due to the control or use of large capital, 
to the help of friends, to speculation, or to fortunate turns 
of events ; it was by constant labor and with the ambition 
to be a successful merchant. 

He now planned to retire from business, and as 
a beginning of relaxation he made a trip to South 
America. But when he returned he managed to 
remain away just one week from the office of the 
firm in which he still had a silent partner's interest. 
His effort to give up active life was a failure. " I 
never saw Cyrus so weary as when he was trying 
to keep still," one of his brothers wrote. 

Two months lifter the return home the welcome 
opportunity to take part in new activities came to 
him. He was asked to help pay the expense of a 
submarine cable from Newfoundland to New York. 
As he studied the plan he became enthusiastic. 
*' If it is possible to connect Newfoundland with the 
United States, why not Ireland with New York.?" 
he asked himself. 

Without delay he wrote to Samuel F. B. Morse, 
the inventor of the telegraph, and talked to his 
neighbor, Peter Cooper, about his new idea. A 
few months later the New York, Newfoundland, 
and London Telegraphic Company was organized. 
The organization later of the Atlantic Telegraph 



284 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

Company opened the way for the completion of the 
line from St. John's, Newfoundland, to Ireland. 

From the beginning Mr. Field was the chief 
figure in the work. He invested nearly everything 
he possessed ; he interested others who had money 
and encouraged those who were half-hearted. His 
faith in the scheme conquered opposition. 




THE CABLE TANK ON SHIPBOARD 



Once an Englishman asked him, " But suppose 
you do not succeed, that you make the attempt and 
fail, your cable lost at the bottom of the ocean, 
then what will you do?" Quickly Mr. Field re- 
plied, " Charge it to profit and loss and lay another." 
When three hundred and sixty miles of the cable 
had been laid he had a chance to prove his brave 
words. On August 10, 1855, the cable parted in 



CYRUS W. FIELD 285 

mid-ocean. Half a million dollars had been spent 
without result. 

Bravely Mr. Field returned to New York, hoping 
to arrange promptly for a second effort. But he 
was delayed by the news that, owing to the great 
panic of 1857, ^'^^^ ^i*"^ ^''^.d failed, owing more than 




THE LANDING OF THE CABLE AT VALENTLV, IRELAND 

six hundred thousand dollars. He settled with his 
creditors by giving notes, all of which were paid on 
or before the date they were due. 

On July 26, 1856, the Niagara and the Valentine, 
each carrying great coils of cable, met in mid- 
Atlantic. The cable was spliced, one vessel started 
for Ireland and the other for Newfoundland, paying 
out cable as thev went. It was calculated that at 



286 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

the end of eight days the entire cable would be 
laid, but, owing to many accidents, it was August 5 
before the work was done. Mr. Field sent one of 
the first messages to his father, telling of his suc- 
cess. To this the reply was sent by his brother: 

The joyful news received here Thursday and almost over- 
whelmed your wife. Father rejoiced like a boy. Mother 
was wild with delight. Brothers, sisters, all were overjoyed. 
Bells were rung, guns fired, children, let out of school, 
shouted, " The cable is laid ! the cable is laid ! " The vil- 
lage was in a tumult of joy. 

The feeling of the people in New York City 
found expression in many banners hung across the 
streets. One of these read : 

Lightning caught and tamed by Franklin. Taught to 
read and write and go on errands by Morse. Started in 
foreign trade by Field, Cooper & Co., with John Bull and 
Brother Jonathan as special partners. 

The cable worked for less than four weeks. On 
September i the attempt to send a message was 
made in vain. 

Other disasters followed. On December 29, 1859, 
Mr. Field's business office burned, and the loss 
was large. On December 7, i860, Cyrus W. Field 
and Company failed a second time. Once more 



CYRUS W. FIELD 



:87 



Mr. Field arranged with his creditors to pay all 
the claims. He mortgaged all his property and 
again began life without a dollar. Yet he was 
not cast down. Six months later he said, " I 
never had more confidence in the success of the 
Atlantic Telegraph Company than I have to-day." 




THE GREA T EASTERN 



During the Civil War Mr. Field was active in 
persuading men in England and America to under- 
take a third experiment. 

In 1865 the Great Eastern was chartered for 
the work. On July 24 it was announced that 
three hundred miles of cable had been laid. On 
August 2 the triumphant word was sent that 
twelve hundred miles had been paid out and that 



288 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

all was going well. But on* August 3 the cable 
parted. On August 17 the failure of the attempt 
was announced when the Great Eastern landed in 
I reland. 

There were great difificulties in the way of rais- 
ing capital for a fresh attempt, but Mr. Field was 
able to overcome them. Always his mere presence 
seemed to inspire men with confidence. The Anglo- 
American Telegraph Company was organized. 
Three million dollars of capital was soon sub- 
scribed, a new cable was made, and once more 
the Great Easter Ji was chartered. Mr. Field sent 
Mrs. Field the message: 

All well. Thank God, the cable has been successfully 
laid, and is in perfect working order. 

Within two weeks the Great Easteini put to sea 
once more, wath the intention of grappling in the 
ocean for the ends of the cable broken in 1865. 
Peter Cooper told in his autobiography the won- 
derful story of the attempt : 

We then went out to see if we could not pick up the 
other one. The balance of the lost cable was on board 
the ship. The cable we found, picked up, and joined to 
the rest, and this wonder of the world was accomplished. 
I do not think the fact is surpassed by any other human 
achievement. The cable was taken out of water two and a 



CYRUS W. FIELD 289 

half miles deep, in mid-ocean. It was picked up three times 
before it was secured. They got it up just far enough to see 
it, and it would go down again, and they would have to do 
the work over again. They used up all their coal, and spent 




THE ATLANTIC CABLE PROJECTORS 

Historical painting by Daniel Huntington in the Chamber of Commerce, 

New York City. From left to right, Peter Cooper, David Dudley Field, 

Chandler White, Marshall O. Roberts, Samuel F. B. Morse, Daniel 

Huntington, Moses Taylor, Cyrus \V. Field, Wilson G. Hunt 



ten or twelve days in ''hooking" for the cable before it was 
finally caught. But they succeeded; the two ends of the 
cable were brought into connection and we had two com- 
plete cables across the ocean. 



290 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

It was September 2, 1866; when Mr. Field sent 
the following triumphant message to Mrs. Field: 

The cable of 1865 was recovered early this morning 

God be praised. . . . 

A few months later he told of, the moment 
when word came to him on the vessel that both 
cables were working perfectly: 

I left the room, I went to my cabin, I locked the door, 
I could no longer restrain my tears — crying like a child, 
and full of gratitude to God that I had been permitted to 
live to witness the recovery of the cable we had lost from 
the Great Eastern just thirteen months previous. 

His first act on returning to New York was to 
sell two hundred thousand dollars' worth of cable 
stock to pay the debts due to the failure of the 
firm of Cyrus W. Field and Company which he 
had assumed in i860. Success meant nothing to 
him until he could look every creditor in the face. 

References for Further Reading 

Field, Henry M. The Story of the Atlantic Telegraph. Charles 

Scribner's Sons, 
JuDSON, Isabella Field. Cyrus W. Field: his Life and Work. 

Harper & Brothers. 



Lj ^>CMJAAU AVUUUX^UJ WJMUMU^ 



I 



I propose to fight it out on this line if it takes a 

summer. 

Ulysses S. Grant 






CHAPTER XXII 

ULYSSES S. GRANT, SOLDIER AND STATESMAN 

(Born in Point Pleasant, Ohio, April 27, 1822; died in Mt. McGregor, 
New York, July 23, 1885) 

Jesse Root Grant, the father of Hiram Ulysses 
Grant, was a tanner. He moved to Georgetown, 
Ohio, when the boy was only a year old. The 
villagers soon began to make sport of the father's 
proud way of speaking of "my Ulysses." " Lys," 
" Lyssus," " Hug," and even " Useless," were nick- 
names dealt out to the boy with generous hand 
by the matter-of-fact neighbors. 

But he was not useless. At seven he was help- 
ing about the house. At eight he was a hand at 
the tannery, driving a team, or breaking bark into 
the grinding mill. He was a great lover of horses, 
and was never so happy as when he was driving 
or riding. When he was ten years old he made 

several trips to Cincinnati, forty miles away, driving 

291 



292 



MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 



neighbors for pay. Other similar trips were taken, 
one of them to Toledo, nearly two hundred miles 
distant across the almost trackless state. Thus he 
earned enough money to buy a horse of his own. 

When he was 
twelve years old 
he showed in a re- 
markable manner 
his determination 
to do a hard task 
which others de- 
clared impossible. 
He was helping a 
company of men 
haul stones from 
White Oak Creek 
for the foundation 
of a new building 
in Georgetown. 
The men chose 
a fine stone for a doorstep and tried hard to move 
it from its place in the creek bed. After a time 
they became discouraged and said that they would 
have to give up the attempt to lift it. But " Lys " 
said, '' Let me try it. If you will help me I think 
I can load it." Of course the men laughed at him, 
but they agreed to do as he said. First he asked 




ULYSSES S. GRANT 



ULYSSES S. GRANT 293 

them to lift one end of the stone with a lever, then 
to " chock " it. Next he backed the ox wagon over 
the stone, dropped a chain from the wagon around 
the raised end, propped up the other end and 
fastened another chain about this. Finally he gave 
the signal to the men, and the heavy wagon 
moved toward the town with the choice stone 
that grown men could not lift. 

In the belief that "my Ulysses" had in him 
the making of an unusual man, his father deter- 
mined to give him every advantage. The boy 
made a fair record at school, but his neighbors at 
Georgetown refused to take him seriously. 

When, at sixteen, he was appointed to a cadet- 
ship at West Point these neighbors were surprised. 
" Why did n't they appoint a boy that would be a 
credit to the district?" they asked. At that time 
he was " short, stubby and hearty, but rather slug- 
gish in mind and body." 

By accident his name was entered " Ulysses 
Simpson Grant " at the time of his entrance at 
West Point. This mistake, which was never cor- 
rected, led the cadets to call him " United States" 
and " Uncle Sam." Finally " Sam " became his 
nickname. He bore without complaint the rough 
treatment usually accorded in those days to a new 
student. At first he was not in love with the 



294 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

new life, but a year later he was looking forward 
to his graduation, to an assistant professorship at 
the Academy, and then to a college professorship. 
His course was so uneventful that his biographers 
are not able to say much about it, though one of 
them gives a pleasing picture of him at the close 
of the four years : 

He left the gate at West Point small, obscure, poor, and 
without political friends or influential relatives, a kind, 
obliging, clean-lipped, good-hearted country boy, who could 
ride a horse over a picket fence or across a tight rope. 

His first service was as a second lieutenant at 
Jefferson Barracks, St. Louis. While there he 
made the acquaintance of Julia Dent, a seventeen- 
year-old girl, who afterwards became his wife. After 
a quiet year at St. Louis he went with his company 
to Mexico, and through this brief war he distin- 
guished himself by capable service. He was in 
every battle except Buena Vista, he was twice pro- 
moted for gallantry, and at the close of the war 
he was a brevet captain. 

Until 1854 he continued in the army, being 
stationed first in Detroit, then on the Pacific coast. 
To the surprise of those who knew him he resigned 
from the service on the very day he accepted his 
commission as captain. When he reached St. Louis 



ULYSSES S. GRANT 295 

he was thirty-two years old, without funds and 
without plans for the future. To make matters 
worse, he had formed an appetite for strong drink. 
This appetite, however, he resolutely determined 
to conquer. 

After working as a farm laborer for a time he 
built a cabin on a plot of ground which had been 
given to Mrs. Grant by her father. "Hardscrabble," 
as he called the four-room log house, continued 
to be the home of the Grant family for several 
years. Ready money was secured by hauling wood 
to St. Louis. The life on the farm proved too 
hard for him, and when in 1858 he removed to 
St. Louis, he was a victim of fever and ague that 
clung to him for years, hi St. Louis he began 
business as a clerk in a real-estate office. One 
who knew him at this time said, " He does n't 
seem to be just calculated for business, but an 
honester, more generous man never lived." He 
failed in the real-estate office, and he failed in 
several later attempts. Finally he decided that 
there was no place for him in the city. He could 
not make bare living expenses, and many times 
he was dependent on generous friends. Later, 
when friends refused to help him because of his 
antislavery sentiments, he went to Galena, Illinois, 
where he was promised work by his brothers who 



296 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

were engaged in the leather, business. For a time 
he earned but fifty dollars a month, and on this 
amount he cared for a family of six. He was 
there when he heard the call of his country for 
service in the Civil War. 

But he found it dif^cult to secure an opportu- 
nity to serve. The governor of Illinois made use 
of him in various ways during the period of mus- 
tering in the first regiments. The adjutant gen- 
eral at Washington paid no attention to the 
proffer of his services. Then, on the same day, 
came offers of a colonelcy from Illinois and from 
Ohio. The former offer was accepted, and the 
Twenty-first Illinois Volunteers, of which he took 
charge, was soon changed from a careless com- 
pany of holiday-makers to a serious military body. 
At first the men made fun of him, but they soon 
found that they were in the hands of their master. 

So the man who for several years had struggled 
against misfortune, conquering his appetite and 
persevering in his purpose to serve his country 
in spite of politicians, was launched on the career 
that was to silence forever the doubting words of 
those who thought that there was no good in 
" my Ulysses." Yet he was so poor at the begin- 
ning of his military life that for a time he stood 
before his regiment in civilian garb. When at 




1911, the Patriot Publishing Co. 
GRANT WITH HIS FAMILY 
From the " Photographic History of the Civil War" 



297 



298 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

length he purchased a colonel's uniform, it was 
necessary to borrow money for the purpose. 

The colonel's epaulets were soon displaced. 
Within a few months after the beginning of his 
military life in Mexico, Missouri, President Lin- 
coln appointed him brigadier general. Later he was 
transferred to Cairo, Illinois, where the results 
of his careful study of maps and of his military 
training were apparent. The proclamation made 
to the citizens of Paducah when he occupied that 
place almost under the noses of an advancing Con- 
federate force was a masterly document. It read: 

I am come among you, not as an enemy, but as your 
fellow citizen ; not to maltreat you, nor annoy you, but to 
respect you and enforce the rights of all loyal citizens. 

An enemy in rebellion against our common Government 
has taken possession of, and planted his guns on the soil of 
Kentucky, and fired upon you. Columbus and Hickman are 
in his hands. He is moving on your city. I am here to 
defend you against this enemy, to assist the authority and 
sovereignty of government. I have nothing to do with opin- 
ions, and shall deal only with armed rebellion and its aiders 
and abettors. You can pursue your usual vocations without 
fear ; the strong arm of the Government is here to protect 
its friends and punish its enemies. Whenever it is mani- 
fest that you are able to defend yourselves and maintain the 
authority of the Government, and protect the rights of loyal 
citizens, I shall withdraw the forces under my command. 



ULYSSES S. GRANT 299 

After reading this proclamation President Lin- 
coln said, " The man who can write like that is 
fitted to command in the West." In the House 
of Representatives at Washington, Richardson of 
Illinois said, " I wish that proclamation could be 
written in letters of gold on the sky, that every- 
body might read it." But Grant was so modest 
that when he wrote his Personal Memoirs he did 
not quote the proclamation ; he was content with 
a brief reference to it. 

In February, 1862, Grant began the movements 
on the Tennessee River which resulted in the 
opening of three important rivers for hundreds of 
miles. The first great victory was at Fort Donel- 
son, when he sent to General Buckner, in com- 
mand, the famous message, " No terms except an 
unconditional and immediate surrender can be 
accepted." Because of that message he was given 
the nickname of " Unconditional Surrender" Grant. 
On learning the news of the victory the nation 
began to ask, " Who is this man Grant ? " 

As major general of volunteers the successful 
commander was given charge of the district of 
West Tennessee, and later of the entire state. 
Vexatious delays had interfered with his plan to 
take Vicksburg, but now he was free to move on 
this key to the lower Mississippi. Slowly and 




300 



ULYSSES S. GRANT 301 

painstakingly he overcame difficulties in the way, 
while the North began to grumble because of his 
delay. Then, when all was ready, the determined 
general carried out his plans. After a spectacular 
campaign the city fell July 4, 1863; 31,600 men 
and 172 guns w^ere taken. This capture is said to 
have been, up to that time, the largest recorded 
in war. 

This success brought to Grant his commission 
as major general in the regular army and opened 
the way for further triumphs. Early in 1864 
Congress created for him the rank of lieutenant 
general, and he was given charge of all the armies. 
Grasping the situation in a masterly manner, he 
so organized his forces and directed his subordi- 
nates that the troops of the enemy were given 
no peace. " I shall fight it out on this line if it 
takes all summer," he wrote at one time. 

Grant's advance in Virginia was stubbornly con- 
tested by Lee, but the gallant Southern com- 
mander was gradually driven back. Then Grant 
moved against Richmond and persisted in his 
determination to take the city in the face of the 
impatience and distrust of the people in the 
North, who thought that nothing was being ac- 
complished. But his plans w^ere working out. 
His subordinates were successful in campaigns on 



302 



MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 



which they were sent. Sherman marched to the 
sea, while Sheridan, Thomas, and Schofield tri- 
umphed in other quarters. In the meantime 
Grant grimly held Lee's army in check at Rich- 
mond. Then all available troops were massed 



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GRANT'S HEADQUARTERS AT CITY POINT, VIRGINIA 
Now in Fairmount Park, Philadelphia 

before the capital, and Richmond was taken. Lee 
fled with his troops, but was pursued. On April 
9, 1865, he surrendered. Officers and men were 
allowed to return to their homes, taking their 
horses with them. General Grant's magnanimous 
terms led Lee to say, "The entire South 
respond to your clemency." 



WlJ 



ULYSSES S. GRANT 303 

The war was at an end. Scattered forces sur- 
rendered. Soldiers of the North and the South 
went home. General Grant returned in triumph 
to the people who had derided him. Congress 
created for him the grade of general, and a thank- 
ful country was proud to honor him. He stood 
the test of popularity as he had stood the test 
of adversity; at no time in his career was his 
greatness more evident than during this period. 
With rare wisdom he guided his steps in the 
midst of the difficulties about him during the 
term of office of President Johnson. For instance, 
when influential leaders were demanding the arrest 
of Generals Lee and Johnston on the charge of 
treason, he appeared before the President and his 
cabinet and persuaded them that the terms of 
surrender at Appomattox must be observed. 

The grateful South was glad when, in 1868, 
the magnanimous general was elected President. 
" Let us have peace," was the significant message 
he wrote when notified of his nomination. During 
eight years of service he won fresh laurels as he 
led the reunited nation in the conquests of peace. 

Then came the tour of the world, when people 
and rulers of every nation vied with one another 
in doing him honor. On his return home he was 
received with enthusiasm, not only in the North 



304 



MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 



but even in those parts of the South where he had 
been most active during the war. His name was 
brought before the Repubhcan convention of 1880 
for nomination for a third term as president, and 
his following was large ; but when, at a critical 
moment, a message was sent to him informing 
him that an influential leader promised to turn 
the tide in his favor, on certain conditions, he 
answered, characteristically, " I will not consent 
to any agreement in order to secure the nomina- 
tion for President of the United States." The 
change of fifty votes would have secured his 
nomination ; he preferred defeat on his own terms 
to success on the terms of another. 

Later came one of the greatest victories of his 
life. He was a silent partner in a large business 
enterprise in New York when the firm failed be- 
cause of the rascality of one of his associates. He 
sacrificed practically all his possessions, including 
the magnificent gifts presented to him while he 
was abroad, that he might pay debts from which 
he had been released legally. He insisted on pay- 
ing them because the use of his name by the firm 
had led many poor people to make investments 
that turned out badly. 

Loss of his fortune was not the worst thing 
that happened to him. A fall on the ice in front 



ULYSSES S. GRANT 305 

of his house caused injuries from which he never 
recovered. Not long afterwards his throat began to 
give him great pain, and the doctors were unable 
to relieve him. Surely it was time for the hero 
who had served his country so well to rest. But 
he could not rest when he thought that his family 
was not provided for. The country was clamoring 
for his story of the war, and he decided to write 
this. Members of the family and his physician 
told him that he was not strong enough to under- 
take the work, but he made up his mind that the 
task must be done and that he would live until 
it was done. With grim determination he persisted, 
bearing the pain without complaint, fighting death 
day after day. Frequently he wrote or dictated 
for eight hours a day. 

Eagerly people in all parts of the world wanted 
to learn how this last battle of the hero was going. 
By mail, by telegraph, and by cable they sent mes- 
sages of cheer that gave new heart to the dying 
man. He was especially touched by the greetings 
that came from men and women of the South. 

Finally the two volumes of his " Personal Mem- 
oirs " were completed. A grateful country received 
them with such hearty appreciation that the pub- 
lishers were able to pay to Mrs. Grant four hundred 
thousand dollars in royalties. 



3o6 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

When the final page of copy was prepared for 
the printer, he said : " If it is within God's provi- 
dence that I should go now, I am ready to obey 
his call without a murmur. I should prefer going 
now to enduring my present suffering for a single 
day without hope of recovery." Three weeks later 
he died, peacefully and happily. He had fought 
and won his last battle. 

References for Further Reading 

Brooks, Elbridge S. The True Story of U. S. Grant. Lothrop, 
Lee & Shepard, Boston. 

Goss, W. Life of Grant for Boys and Girls. Thomas Y. Crowell 
Company, New York. 

Headley, p. C. Life and Times of U. S. Grant. A. L. Burt 
Company, New York. 

Knox, Thomas W. Boys' Life of General Grant. Saalfield Pub- 
lishing Company, Akron, Ohio. 



^'>WXMJ-WJXA.UA\U^U^V.U^ 







Never attempt to do anything which you are not 
prepared to do thoroughly. A little done well is far 
more satisfactory than a great deal done carelessly and 
superficially. 



Francis Papkman 



CHAPTER XXIII 

FRANCIS PARKMAN, HISTORIAN 

(Born in Boston, Massachusetts, September i6, 1823; died in Jamaica 
Plain, Massachusetts, November 8, 1893) 

Some boys like the city, but Francis Parkmaii 
was not one of these. He Hked to live out of doors, 
and his Boston home gave him little chance to do 
this. He was glad, therefore, when, at the age of 
six, he was sent to the farm of his grandfather near 
Medford. There he could wander as much as he 
liked in the fields and in the woods. He was espe- 
cially fond of a rugged region near the farm known 
as Middlesex Fells, where were "ponds, — one half 
a mile across ; a hill hundreds of feet high ; heaths, 
glens, dales, crags ; thickets full of trees too big to 
clasp, jungles of underbrush ; rotten stumps to be 
smashed by a battle-axe ; thick moss to drive a 
spear into ; mud to smear new clothes from head to 
foot ; glorious varieties of dirt, and all the riches of 

307 



3o8 



MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 



a wilderness." There, too,' he became acquainted 
with the squirrels, the woodchucks, the birds, and 
the rocks of the wilds. 

To be sure he went to school as well as to the 
woods, but the woods made the greater impression 

on him. The four 
years at Medford 
made him wish to 
spend his life in the 
open. 

During the next 
six or seven years, 
which he spent at 
his Boston home, he 
did his best to sup- 
ply the lack of the 
woods by fitting up 
a shed in the yard 
as a chemical labora- 
tory, where he made many wonderful experiments 
and built an electrical machine with which he 
shocked playmates who were willing to brave its 
mysteries. 

Other boys liked to play with him, though they 
were sometimes out of patience with him because 
he was never willing to give up anything he had 
once made up his mind to do. Frequently others 




FRANCIS PARKMAN 



FRANCIS PARKMAN 



309 



grew weary of a bit of sport and said, " Let 's do 
something else." But he resokitely kept at what 
he had begun. He was unwilhng to let anything 
master him, whether it was a lesson or only a 
bit of play. 

An experience a few years later illustrates this 
characteristic. While on a vacation trip to Lake 
George, in company with his friend Henry Orme 
White, he spent a night made miserable by bugs 
and mosquitoes. Next day there was a long con- 
test with the waves in a narrow part of the lake, 
where the wind was dead against the boat. At 
last White exclaimed : 

" You call this fun, do you ? To be eaten up by bugs all 
night and work against head winds all day isn't according 
to my taste, whatever you may think of it." 

"Are you going to back out?" Parkman asked. 

" Back out, yes," was the reply. " When I get into a bad 
scrape, I back out of it as quick as I can." 

But there was no " back out " in Parkman ; he 
kept on his way in "spite of mosquitoes and head 
winds. 

It is not surprising that a boy who knew his 
mind and could stick to his program in spite of 
discouragements should decide very soon what he 
intended to do with his life and should hold to 
his plan with eager determination. When he was 



3IO MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

seventeen years old, during his freshman year at 
Harvard, he decided that his work must take him 
to the woods he loved and enable him to tell others 
about the free life of the forest. A year later he 
determined definitely to tell the story of French 
colonization and empire in North America, because 
he felt that here " the forest drama was more stir- 
ring and the forest stage more thronged with ap- 
propriate actors than in any other passages of our 
history." As he thought more of his plan, he en- 
larged it so as to include the whole story of the 
conflict in America between France and England. 
To him this meant the story of the American forest 
and the story of the Indians in the forest during the 
struggles between France and England. 

Having made up his mind as to his work, he 
began to do things that he felt would help him in 
his purpose. In his own words, he " tried to learn 
endurance by long walks taken at a pace far too 
rapid to make his companionship comfortable," and 
he " spent long hours into the night reading English 
classics and all sorts of books concerning Ameri- 
can Indians." Later, when the first gymnasium at 
Harvard was opened, he tried to crowd years of 
physical training into six months. As a part of his 
life plan he felt that he must take long trips in the 
forest, and he must get ready for these trips. But 



FRANCIS PARKMAN 



311 



he was not strong enough for this severe discipHne, 
and all his life he paid in physical weakness the 
penalty of overeagerness. 

Other tasks were undertaken with more wisdom. 
Diligently he trained himself in English composition. 





^^^^^^^^^g,^ ■• IiP^S^' -. /:fF' 





ON LAKE GEORGE 



He was glad that, just before entering Harvard, 
he had been under the guidance of a teacher who 
taught him to write "good and easy English." 
Later, when he saw the wisdom of this training, he 
began to keep a journal with great care. He wrote 
his daily portion even when surroundings were most 
unfavorable and it would have been easy to say, " I 
think I won't write anything to-day." Some of his 



312 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

best writing was done by the light of a camp fire 
after a w^eary tramp, or on shipboard, when the sea 
was rough and the cabin was dark. 

Summer vacations gave the ambitious student 
opportunity to take long journeys in the forest. 
For these trips he chose regions of which he 









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THE RUINS OF FORT TICONDEROGA 
From a photograph taken before the restoration 

planned to tell in the volumes of history that were 
slowly shaping themselves in his mind. One sum- 
mer he went to Saratoga and Fort William Henry 
and Fort Ticonderoga, interviewing old residents, 
studying the forest trails, and making copious notes 
for future use. 

Because his father thought that he should have 
a profession, he entered law school a few months 



FRANCIS PARKMAN 313 

after the completion of his college course. He felt 
that the time would not be lost, for the knowledge 
of law would help him in his historical work. Dur- 
ing the years of his professional course he gave 
more attention to reading and planning for his 
books than to his law studies. He frequently rose 
early in the morning that he might have more 
time for his work, but both his eyes and his gen- 
eral health suffered by reason of the repeated study 
at unseasonable hours. 

When the law course w^as completed, he decided 
to write the history of the Indian War under Pon- 
tiac. He felt that if he was to do this well he 
must not only become acquainted with all the facts 
bearing on the subject but must also fill his mind 
with impressions from real life, range the woods, 
mix with Indians and frontiersmen, and visit the 
scenes of the events he meant to describe. He could 
find Indians near home, but these were half civi- 
lized and would not give him the correct picture. 
So he made his plans to go with a friend to the 
haunts of the Sioux and the Snakes in what is 
now Colorado and Wyoming. For five months he 
rode along the Western trails, hunting buffalo and 
living with the Indians. Not long after the begin- 
ning of the journey his health failed, and he knew 
that he ought not to be in the saddle ; but he had 



314 



MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 



made up his mind to complete the journey, and he 
forced himself to ride over the rough country when 
he could hardly keep his place on the horse. He 
succeeded in gathering the material he sought, but 
the exposure made him an invalid. At first the chief 




TREATING WITH THE INDIANS, KING PHILIPS WAR 



difficulty was wdth his eyes. He went to New York 
for treatment, but never again was he able to read 
with comfort. 

The immediate result of the journey was the prep- 
aration of " The Oregon Trail," which he dictated 
to the friend who had made the trip with him. The 
chapters appeared serially in the The Knickerbocker 
Magazme and were later published in book form. 



FRANCIS PARKMAN 315 

The completion of " The Oregon Trail " found him 
a physical wreck at twenty-five years of age. He 
could not even write his own name, except with 
his eyes closed ; he was unable to fix his mind on 
a subject, except for very brief intervals, and his 
nervous system was so exhausted that any effort 
was a burden. But he would not give up. During 
the weary days of darkness he thought out the story 
of the Conspiracy of Pontiac and decided to write 
it. Physicians warned him that the results would 
be disastrous ; yet he felt that nothing could do 
him more harm than an idle, purposeless life. 

One of his chief difificulties he solved in an ingen- 
ious manner. In a manuscript, published after his 
death, his plan was described : 

He caused a wooden frame to be constructed of the size 
and shape of a sheet of letter paper. Stout wires were fixed 
horizontally across it, half an inch apart, and a movable back 
of thick pasteboard fitted behind them. The paper for writ- 
ing was placed between the pasteboard and the wires, guided 
by which, and using a black lead crayon, he could write not 
illegibly with closed eyes. 

This contrivance, with improvements, he used for 
more than forty years of semiblindness. 

The documents on which he depended for his 
facts were read to him, though sometimes for days 
he could not listen and then perhaps only for half 



3l6 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

an hour at a time. As he listened to the reading 
he made notes with closed eyes. Then he turned 
over in his mind what he had heard and laboriously 
wrote a few lines. For months he penned an aver- 
age of only three or four lines a day. Later he 
w^as able to work more rapidly, and he completed 
the book in two years and a half. No publisher 
was found who was willing to bear the expense of 
issuing the volume, and the young historian paid 
for the plates himself. 

Friends thought that now he would have to give 
up. His eyes were still troubling him, he became 
lame, his head felt as if great bands of iron were 
fastened about it, and frequently he did not sleep 
more than an hour or two a night. Then came 
the death of his wife, on whom he had depended 
for some years. At one time his physician warned 
him that he had not more than six months to live. 
But when a friend said that he had nothing more 
to live for, he made the man understand that he 
was not ready to hoist the white flag. 

He made two attempts to gain strength for the 
work he had planned to do. First he went to 
Europe for treatment, but without result. Then 
he turned his attention to life out of doors. On 
three acres of ground at Jamaica Plain, Massachu- 
setts, he made a garden of roses. In his wheel 



FRANCIS PARKMAN 



jV 



chair he went here and there in the garden, direct- 
ing the laborers and rejoicing in the beauty about 
him. He succeeded in developing many new varie- 
ties of flowers. For the famous Lilium Parkmanii 
he received a thou- 
sand dollars from an 
English florist. His 
success was due to 
his observance of 
advice he gave to 
cultivators of flowers: 
" Never attempt to 
do anything which 
you are not prepared 
to do thoroughly. 
A little done w^ell 
is far more satisfac- 
tory than a great 
deal done carelessly 
and superficially." 

Among the fruits of the six years in his rose 
garden were his election as president of the Mas- 
sachusetts Horticultural Society, his service as pro- 
fessor of horticulture in the Agricultural School of 
Harvard, the publication of " The Book of Roses," 
and the slight improvement in his health that en- 
abled him to go on with his studying and writing. 



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STANDING BEAR, SIOUX CHIEF 



3i8 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

While he was preparing " The Book of Roses " 
he was toihng through the pages of " The Pioneers 
of France in the New World." Then came " The 
Jesuits in North America," " La Salle and the Dis- 
covery of the Great West," " Pontiac," " Montcalm 
and Wolfe," and finally, in 1892, " A Half Century 
of Conflict," which completed the histories he had 
set out to write fifty years before. Much of the 
material for the books was gathered in the libra- 
ries of Europe, where he was obliged to take 
helpers with him who would secure copies at his 
direction. 

He died a year after the completion of this last 
book. By sheer power of will he had begun and 
carried through a program that would have been a 
tremendous task for a man in perfect health. 

And he did the work well. John Fiske ranks 
him with Herodotus, Thucydides, and Gibbon. An 
English critic said he was great because he had in 
him the true genius of history, that enabled him 
" to wed accuracy with romance." Another critic 
says that the older reader of his work calls it ad- 
mirable, while "the boy who reads Parkman after 
Cooper and the Waverley novels finishes ' Pontiac ' 
or ' Montcalm and Wolfe ' with a ' That 's bully ! ' " 
Oliver Wendell Holmes, in his poem in memory of 
Parkman, wrote : 



FRANCIS PARKMAN 319 

He told the red man's story ; far and wide 

He searched the unwritten records of his race ; 

He sat a hstener at the Sachem's side ; 

He tracked the hunter through the wildwood chase. 

Halting with feeble step, or bending o'er 

The sweet-breathed roses which he loved so well, 

While through long years his burdening cross he bore. 
From those firm lips no coward accents fell. 

A brave, bright memory ! his the stainless shield 

No shame defaces and no envy mars ! 
When our far future's record is unsealed 

His name will shine among its morning stars. 

References for Further Reading 

Farnham, Charles H. Life of Francis Parkman. Little, Brown and 

Company, Boston. 
Sedgwick, Henry Dwight. Francis Parkman. Houghton Mifflin 

Company, Boston. 






Nothing so needs reforming as other people's habits. 

Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear — not 

absence of fear. 

Mark Twain 



i7^>i^r\YYr^frrxiYr\rrrf^r\yYnyYr\\rr\Yrr\Y^ 



CHAPTER XXIV 

SAMUEL LANGHORNE CLEMENS (MARK TWAIN), 
HUMORIST 

(Born in Florida, Missouri, November 30, 1835: died in Redding, 
Connecticut, April 21, 19 10) 

As a boy Samuel Langhorne Clemens was looked 
upon by his parents as the least promising of their 
five children. He was always delicate, and he 
seemed to have no aptitude for books. His greatest 
delight was in playing pranks ; he left it to other 
members of the family to excel at school. One of 
his pranks, played after the family moved to Han- 
nibal, nearly cost him his life. A companion was 
suffering from black measles. Samuel decided that 
he must have measles, too, so he stole into the 
house of his playmate and then into bed with him. 
Of course the measles developed very soon. 

Long before Sam was six years old he was noted 
for his imaginative tales. His brothers and sisters 



SAMUEL LANGHORNE CLEMENS 321 

listened to them in amazement. Neighbors were 
disturbed ; they spoke to Mrs. Clemens about the 
matter. But the sympathetic mother said that she 
had no trouble with his tales ; she always discounted 
them ninety per cent. " The rest is pure gold," 
she would say. 

At five Sam was started in school. At eight he 
was a healthy, rollicking boy, with a large head, 
a mop of sandy hair, and a smile that made up for 
his lack of good looks. About this time his longing 
to see life on the Mississippi made him forget 
parental commands ; he boarded a steamboat and 
hid himself under one of the boats on the main 
deck. A deck hand saw his legs sticking out and 
he was ignominiously hauled before the authorities. 
At the next landing he was put ashore and sent 
back to his anxious parents. 

With a number of boon companions, Sam played 
pirates in a cave, fished, hunted, explored the river 
in a boat, went swimming; in short, he lived the 
healthy outdoor life of a vigorous boy. Sometimes 
he got into mischief. 

These care-free days came to an end when he was 
less than twelve years old. Then his father died, 
and the boy resolved to be faithful and industri- 
ous for his mother's sake. He was taken from school 
and apprenticed for two years to Joseph P. Ament, 



322 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

the owner of the Missotiri -Courier, who promised 
to give him board and clothes in payment. The 
clothes supplied were Ament's discarded garments. 

It was not long before he was the mainstay of the 
office. He learned so rapidly that when, about the 
end of the appointed stay, his brother Orion, also a 
printer, returned from St. Louis and bought the 
Hannibal Journal, he was able to go into this office 
as chief assistant. 

He was sixteen when his first manuscript was 
accepted for publication. The editor of the Phila- 
delphia Saturday Evening Post then used two short 
humorous articles, which he printed anonymously. 

When Sam was eighteen he decided to go out 
into the world to seek his fortune, hoping to find 
it in New York City. His mother bade him God- 
speed, asking him to make one promise only. So 
he repeated after her the words, " I do solemnly 
swear that I will not throw a card or drink a drop 
of liquor while I am gone." 

Later he wrote to his sister Pamela, " Tell Ma 
my promises are faithfully kept." 

In New York City he earned but four dollars a 
week, yet of this sum he saved fifty cents. He was 
more fortunate when he went to Philadelphia to work 
on a daily paper. There he was accustomed to set 
ten thousand ems a day, and he earned good wages. 



SAMUEL LANGHORNE CLEMENS 323 

Then followed two years in Keokuk, Iowa, where 
he worked for his brother Orion, in the printing 
office, and a short stay in Cincinnati. While in 
Cincinnati he wrote his first articles for pay, two 
letters to an Iowa paper which show faint traces 
of the ability that later made Mark Twain famous. 

From Cincinnati the printer took passage for 
New Orleans on the Pa7il Jones, intending to go 
to South America. Once more the fascination of 
the river took hold of him and he proposed to Pilot 
Bixby that he become his apprentice, or "cub" pilot. 
Mr. Bixby asked for a premium of five hundred 
dollars, and Sam offered two thousand acres of 
Tennessee land. When this offer w^as refused he 
promised to pay one hundred dollars cash and 
agreed to give the remainder when he became 
a pilot. 

His progress on the river w^as rapid. In little 
more than a year he was offered his first trip as 
day steersman. He was to leave the Pennsylvania, 
the boat on which he had traveled down the river 
with Pilot Bixby, and then go to St. Louis on the 
next steamer; when he reached St. Louis he was 
to begin his term of service. 

But these plans w^ere not carried out. At Memphis 
the Pe7t7isylvanicis engine blew up, and one hundred 
and fifty lives were lost. Sam's brother Henry, who 



324 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

had been acting as third olerk on the boat, was 
so badly injured that he died soon afterwards. For 
some reason Sam blamed himself for his brother's 
death. From that time he dated his gray hairs and 
his sad expression of countenance. 

The pilot's river experience lasted for three years. 
His earnings w^ere large, and each month he sent a 




A MISSLSSirPI RIVER STKAMlUJAi' 



portion to his mother and his brother Orion. Spare 
hours were used in studying and writing. 

Though the beginning of the Civil War saw 
the end of river trade for some years, he was out 
of work only a short time. Through a friend in 
Washington, Orion had been appointed Territorial 
secretary of Nevada. Wlien Sam learned that he 
had not the funds necessary for the trip, he offered 
to pay the expenses provided Orion appointed him 



SAMUEL LANGHORNE CLEMENS 



325 



personal secretary. The offer was accepted. On 
August 14, i86l the brothers reached Carson City. 
The trip and many of the experiences in the fron- 
tier state were later immortalized in " Roughing It." 




A GOLD MINER'S CABIN 



Those were the days when fortunes were made 
in Nevada mines, and it is not strange that Sam 
Clemens soon caught the mining fever. He turned 
his back on the territorial capital and hurried to 
the mines; but his dreams came to nothing. While 
at the mines he wrote humorous sketches which 
were printed over the signature " Josh." These 
attracted so much attention that in Julv, 1862, the 



326 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

editor of The Territorial Enterprise offered him 
twenty-five dollars a week to take a position on 
the staff. For some time his articles written for the 
Enterprise were unsigned, but after a while he began 
to use the name " Mark Twain," over which an old 
river acquaintance had written steamboat news for 
the New Orleans papers. When the young news- 
paper man appropriated the title, he told his em- 
ployer it was " an old river term, a leadsman's call, 
signifying two fathoms, twelve feet." Then he 
added, " It has a richness about it; it was always 
a pleasant sound for a pilot to hear on a dark 
night ; it meant safe water." 

" Mark Twain " began to take his place in the 
world's literature. Members of the legislature, which 
he was attending as a reporter, began to call him 
Mark. Everywhere he was hailed as Mark Twain ; 
his own name became unfamiliar even to himself. 
Within a few years a large proportion of the read- 
ing public would have insisted that his pen name 
was his real name. 

During the next four or five years he made 
steady progress. Newspaper work in the Nevada 
capital was followed by reporting in San Francisco 
and Honolulu, and a brief mining experience in 
the Tuolumne district. That no gold was found 
was due to his unwillingness to keep on with the 



SAMUEL LANGHORNE CLEMENS 327 

disagreeable work. It is related that his partner had 
a panful of dirt all ready for the bucket of water 
required to wash it, but the unwilling miner de- 
clared he would not carry another pail if he knew 
there was a million dollars in the pan. The partner 
reluctantly laid down the pan, and the claim was 
deserted. Rain came and exposed a handful of nug- 
gets in the pan. Two Austrians came that way, saw 
the gold, and washed out ten thousand dollars in 
a short time. 

Something better than a few nuggets of gold 
came out of that mining experience. One day a 
loafer at the mines told a story of two frogs that 
became the basis for Mark Twain's story of "Jim 
Smiley and His Jumping Frog." This appeared 
on November 18, 1865, and was copied by papers 
all over the country. In a few months the English- 
speaking world was laughing, and Mark Twain was 
famous. 

This was the beginning of his rapid growth in 
popular favor. He went on the lecture platform 
in the West, and took the public by storm ; in the 
East he repeated his triumphs. He went to Europe 
under engagement to write sixty letters for the.-! //a 
Californian, and the letters were later printed in 
" The Innocents Abroad," a volume that sold for four 
dollars, yet broke all records for large sales. Within 



328 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

nine months the profits w^re more than seventy 
thousand dollars. The book is still selling hundreds 
of copies each year, after more than a generation. 




© Underwood & Underwood 



MARK TWAIN AT WORK 



It is needless to give the list of later vol- 
umes, " Roughing It," " Life on the Mississippi," 
" Tom Sawyer," " The Adventures of Huckle- 
berry Finn," " Pudd'nhead Wilson," " The Personal 



SAMUEL LANGHORNE CLEMENS 329 

Recollections of Joan of Arc," and many others. 
The names bring up memories of delightful hours 
and make one think, " I must read that book 
again." 

His greatness was recognized in Europe as well 
as in America. The German emperor complimented 
him on his work ; the porter of his apartments in 
Vienna told him of his delight in " Life on the 
Mississippi." The University of Oxford gave him 
a degree, though it had never before honored a 
humorist. When he went abroad to lecture he was 
received with hearty acclaim. 

And when, late in life, he was burdened with a 
heavy debt by the failure of the publishing house 
in which he was interested, the world's regard for 
him became still deeper, for he determined to pay 
every claim. This he accomplished after what has 
been called the most spectacular and remarkable 
lecture tour in history. 

Many sorrows came into his life. By the death 
of his wife and several children he was left almost 
alone. But always he was the same genial man of 
the people who helped others to forget their cares 
by his unfailing, kindly humor. 

Among the tributes of his friends, given after 
his death, perhaps the best was spoken by Dr. 
Henry van Dyke : 



330 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

The atmosphere of his work is clear and wholesome. He 
made fun without hatred. He laughed many of the world's 
false claimants out of court, and entangled many of the 
world's false witnesses in the net of ridicule. In his best 
books and stories, colored with his ow^n experience, he 
touched the absurdities of life with penetrating but not 
unkindly mockery, and made us feel, somehow, the infinite 
pathos of life's realities. 

References for Further Reading 

Henderson, A. Mark Twain. Frederick A. Stokes Company, New 

York. 
Paine, Albert Bigelow. Boys' Life of Mark Twain. Harper & 

Brothers, New York. 



. ^AMJXA,U^UAAUAVUaWMWMU<^^^ 







Young hearts, young leaves, flowers, animals, the 
winds and the streams and the sparkling lake, all wildly, 
gladly, rejoicing together ! 

John Muir 



CHAPTER XXV 

JOHN MUIR, INTERPRETER OF NATURE 

(Born in Dunbar, Scotland, 1838; died in Los Angeles, California, 
December 24, 1 914) 

When John Muir was a schoolboy in Scotland 
he was fascinated by the vivid description of the 
American fish hawk given by the naturalist 
Alexander Wilson and by Audubon's story of 
the passenger pigeon. Then the pictures of the 
great American forests attracted him. If only he 
could see America ! 

One night he was startled by his father's 
announcement, " Bairns, ye needna learn yer les- 
sons the nicht, for we be gaun awa' to America 
the morn." 

The voyage to America, which was made in an 
old-fashioned sailing vessel, lasted six weeks and 
three days, but it was not too long for John Muir 
and his brother David. They were on deck in all 

33^ 



zz^ 



MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 



sorts of weather; in fact, they thought they Hked 
the rough weather best. 

Something said by a fellow passenger on the 
ship led Mr. Muir to decide to go to Wisconsin, 

instead of to 
Canada as he had 
intended. From 
Milwaukee the 
family was hauled 
one hundred miles 
to Kingston by a 
farmer who was 
driving home with 
an empty wagon. 
From Kingston 
the immigrants 
were taken by ox- 
team to a farm 
ten miles farther 
into the lonely 
wilderness. 
The oxen had hardly halted when John and 
his brother were off among the trees by the side 
of a little lake, beginning their explorations in a 
region that to them seemed very wild. That day, 
and on later days, they could not look enough at 
the feathered dwellers in the tree tops. 




JOHN MUIR 



JOHN MUIR 333 

Their feelings were expressed thus by John: 

Oh, that glorious Wisconsin wilderness ! Everything 
new and pure in the very prime of the spring when 
Nature's pulses were beating highest and mysteriously 
keeping time with our own ! Young hearts, young leaves, 
flowers, animals, the winds and the streams and the 
sparkling lake, all wildly, gladly, rejoicing together. 

Deep impressions were made by the first sight 
of a woodpecker's hole, by the discovery of a hen 
hawk's nest on the top of a tall oak, by the 
startling cry of the whippoorwill, by the wonder- 
ful vision of tens of thousands of fireflies flitting 
over the meadows on a summer night. 

In his own story of those early years on the 
pioneer farm, Muir told of the more serious side 
of his life : 

I was put to the plough at the age of twelve, when 
my head reached but little above the handles, and for 
many years T had to do the greater part of the plough- 
ing. It was hard work for so small a boy; nevertheless 
as good ploughing was exacted from me as if I was a 
man, and very soon I had become a good ploughman, or 
rather, ploughboy. None could draw a straighter furrow. 
For the first few years the work was particularly hard on 
account of the tree stumps that had to be dodged. 
Later the stumps were all dug and chopped out to make 
way for the McCormick reaper, and because I proved to 
be the best chopper and stump-digger I had nearly all 



334 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

of it to myself. It was dull, hard work leaning over on 
my knees all day, chopping out those tough oak and 
hickory stumps, deep down below the crown of the big 
roots. Some, though fortunately not many, were two feet 
or more in diameter. 

To the boy came also the work of splitting 
rails for the long line of zigzag fences. When 
the father found that he was not the success as 
a maker of rails that his son was, and that the 
boy rather liked the struggle with the great trees 
from which the rails were cut, he was quite con- 
tent to leave the task in John's hands. 

When the first farm was cleared, Mr. Muir 
bought a half section of wild land and the boys 
had to face a second time the disheartening pros- 
pect of making it ready for the plow. 

Muir's story of the digging on this second farm 
of a well ninety feet deep, all except the first ten 
feet or so in fine-grained sandstone, is thrilling: 

When the sandstone was struck, my father, at the 
advice of a man who had worked in mines, tried to 
blast the rock, but from lack of skill the blasting went 
on very slowly and father decided to have me do all the 
work with mason's chisels ; a long, hard job, with a good 
deal of danger in it. I had to sit cramped in a space 
about three feet in diameter and wearily chip, chip, with 
a heavy hammer and chisels, from early morning till 
dark, day after day, for weeks and months. In the 



JOHN MUIR 335 

morning, father and David lowered me in a wooden 
bucket by a windlass, hauled up what chip was left from 
the night before, then went away to the farm work and 
left me until noon when they hoisted me out for dinner. 
After dinner I was promptly lowered again, the fore- 
noon's accumulation of chip hoisted out of the way, and 
I was left until night. 

One morning, after the driving bore was about eighty 
feet deep, my life was all but lost in the deadly choke 
damp — carbonic acid gas — that had settled at the bot- 
tom during the night. Instead of clearing away the chips 
as usual when I was lowered to the bottom, I swayed 
back and forth and began to sink under the poison. 
Father, alarmed that I did not make any noise, shouted, 
" What 's keeping you so still .? " to which he got no 
reply. Just as I was settling down against the side of 
the wall, I happened to catch a glimpse of a branch of 
a burr-oak tree which leaned out over the mouth of the 
shaft. This suddenly awakened me, and to father's excited 
shouting I feebly answered, '' Take me out." But when 
he began to hoist he found that I was not in the bucket, 
and, in wild alarm, shouted, '' Get in ! get in the bucket 
and hold on ! Hold on ! " Somehow I managed to get 
into the bucket and that is all I remembered until I was 
dragged out, violently gasping for breath. 

Later a neighbor told Mr. Muir to throw water 
clown the shaft to absorb the gas, and to let 
down by a rope a bundle of brush or twigs 
which could be drawn rapidly up and down so 
as to stir up the air. When these precautions 



336 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

were taken the boy was let down once more, and 
he continued his work till he had chipped away 
ten feet more of the sandstone. 

During the intervals of farm work John taught 
himself arithmetic, algebra, geometry, and trigonom- 
etry. Books, borrowed from the neighbors, were 
devoured eagerly. He longed to read after his 
eight o'clock bedtime, but his father told him he 
could not do this. Then, when he saw the boy's 
disappointment, he said, " If you will read, get up 
in the morning and read ; you may get up in the 
morning as early as you like." 

He thought the weary farm boy would care 
more for sleep than for his books, but he was 
mistaken. Next morning his son rose at one 
o'clock, and all winter long this was his rising 
hour. The father decided to say nothing, for he 
realized that he w^as only being taken at his word. 

Books did not occupy nearly all of the wonder- 
ful amount of spare time thus put at the boy's 
disposal. He began to make strange inventions, 
among other things a self-setting sawmill which he 
operated after damming a stream in the meadow; 
curious door-locks and latches, thermometers, clocks, 
a lamplighter and firelighter, and an automatic con- 
trivance for feeding the horses at any required 
hour. 



JOHN MUIR T^2>7 

At the suggestion of a neighbor, he decided to 
take some of his curious inventions for exhibition 
at the state fair at Madison. When he left home he 
had fifteen dollars in his pocket, most of the sum 
having been saved by raising grain on a patch of 
abandoned ground. This proved to be his start in 
the world, for he did not come back home to stay. 

On his way to Madison he took his first ride 
on a railway train, but he was not content to 
ride in the coach ; he pleaded so hard for a ride 
on the engine that his request was granted. 

At the fair he made some good friends and 
was encouraged to enter the state university 
and earn his way as he studied. During the four 
years at the university he worked in the harvest 
fields in the summer and so earned enough for 
the winter's bills. But he spent so much for 
experiments and extras that frequently he could 
spare only fifty cents a week for board. 

One winter he taught school during the day 
and kept up his college work at night. He did 
not own a watch, so he used one of the clocks 
he had made from hickory wood. This was set on 
a shelf in the schoolroom and was made to start 
the fire at eight o'clock each morning. Not once 
during the winter did the clock fail to do its work. 

Other inventions made while he was at Madison 



33^ 



MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 




JOHN MUIR'S DESK 

From chart in the State Historical Museum 
of Wisconsin 



were a bed which 
dumped him on the 
floor at any given 
hour in the morning, 
and a desk on which 
his books were ar- 
ranged in order; by 
clockwork the books 
were opened before 
him, one by one, and 
each was closed and 
removed when a cer- 
tain time had passed. 
This odd contrivance 
worked perfectly. 

A fellow student 
told him of the 
pleasure of studying 
plants. Muir's love 
of nature made him 
listen eagerly, and 
from that day to 
his death he was 
an ardent student of 
the trees, the flowers, 
and all the wonders 
of earth and sky. 



JOHN MUIR 339 

In writing the story of his struggles, he said that 
he " wandered away from the university on a glorious 
botanical and geological excursion which had lasted 




CLINCH RIVER, TENNESSEE, CROSSED BY JOHN MUIR ON HIS TRAMP 

TO FLORIDA 

Courtesy of Louisville & Nashville Railroad 

fifty years, and was not yet completed," that he was 
" always happy and free, poor and rich, without 
thought of a diploma or of making a name, urged on 
and on through endless, inspiring, Godful beauty." 




GLACIER POINT IN THE YOSEMITE 



340 



JOHN MUIR 341 

When he left, as he said, the University of 
Wisconsin for the University of the Wilderness, 
he explored the region of the Great Lakes, bota- 
nizing and geologizing as he went. Trouble with 
his eyes led him to fear that he was going blind. 




MUIR GLACIER, ALASKA 



Resolved to enjoy as much as possible of the 
beauty of the world while he could still see, he 
wandered to Indianapolis, sleeping in the open 
air. In Indianapolis he worked a little while to 
pay his expenses, then he tramped to Florida, 
From Florida he made his way to California. 



342 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

Landing in San Francisco in 1873, he asked 
almost at once for the Sierra Nevada Mountains, 
and when these were pointed out to him he set 
out on the hundred-mile walk necessary to reach 
them. And when he came to the mountains, he 
was happy. Through all the remainder of his life 
he called the Sierras " home." He wandered to 
Alaska and studied the glaciers ; he went to Nor- 
way and Sweden for a similar purpose ; he traveled 
around the world to study the beauties of forest 
and mountain. But always he returned with new 
zeal to the Sierra Nevadas, parts of which he 
knew as minutely as a farmer knows his acres or 
as a boy knows the schoolyard. To him America 
owes the first real knowledge of its Big Trees and 
the Yosemite. The great forest reservations in the 
mountains are really monuments to him, for he 
pointed out their necessity as a means of pre- 
serving the streams and valleys. 

But perhaps his greatest work has been the 
gift to tens of thousands of the passion for the 
study of nature which was to him the breath of life. 

References for Further Reading 

MuiR, John. The Story of My Boyhood and Youth. Houghton 

Mifflin Company, Boston. 
Strother, French. John Muir, Naturalist, Geologist, Interpreter of 

Nature. IVorld's IVork, April, 1907. 



1 



Those are the best poets who keep down their cloudy 
sorrow songs and wait until some light comes to gild 
them with comfort. 

Sidney Lanier 



ir^n>rYr^ {Yr^r\rrrwnrrn^r\^rr\rrrt>rrr\^^ 



CHAPTER XXVI 

SIDNEY LANIER, THE SOUTHERN POET 

(Born in Macon, Georgia, February 3, 1842; died in Lynn, North 
Carolina, September 7. 1881) 

Sidney Lanier, his brother CHfford, and their 
sister Gertrude were chums who Hked nothing 
better than to be in one another's company. The 
boys were devoted to Gertrude, and they were 
eager to have her with them when they went on 
Saturday to " the boys' happy hunting grounds, 
redolent of hickory nuts, scaly bark, and rose- 
blushing, luscious haw apples." Clifford Lanier 
has told how the three of them used to plunge 
into the woods, across the marsh, for a day among 
doves, blackbirds, robins, plovers, snipes, and 
rabbits. 

Of course the Lanier children went to school, 
but on the way to and from school and at recess 
they liked to peer into nature's secrets. Nearly 

343 



344 



MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 



half a century after those country schooldays were 
over, Clifford wrote : 

One of these schools stood in a grove of oak and hickory- 
nut trees and was called the 'Cademy. Sidney was bright 
at studies, but while parsing, reading, writing, and figuring, 

he was also chucking 
nuts from the top of the 
tall trees, sympathizing 
with the darting, half- 
angel, half-animal flying 
squirrels, and drinking 
deep draughts of the love 
of nature from the cool, 
solacing oaks. 

Sidney liked to imi- 
tate on crude musical 
instruments the notes 
of the birds w^iich he 
heard in the forest. 
His brother once recalled the following incident: 

When he was seven years old he made his first effort 
at music upon an improvised reed cut from the neighboring 
river bank with cork stopping the ends, and a mouth hole 
and six finger holes extemporized at the side. With this he 
sought the woods, to emulate the trills and cadences of the 
song birds. 

When, one Christmas, he was given a small, 
yellow, one-keyed flute, his heart was full. He lost 




SIDNEY LANIER 



SIDNEY LANIER 345 

no time in organizing an orchestra among his boy 
friends. Thus ah-eady he was showing the love of 
nature and of music which led him to write these 
words in his first book, when he was twenty-six 
years old, about the playing of the flute : 

It is like walking in the woods, amongst wild flowers, 
just before you go into some vast cathedral. For the flute 
seems to me to be particularly the wood-instrument ; it speaks 
the gloss of green leaves and the pathos of torn branches ; 
it calls up the strange mosses that are under dead leaves, of 
wild plants that hide ; and it breathes oak fragrances that 
vanish ; it expresses to me the natural images of music. 

When he had children of his own he was glad 
when he could take them into the woods and point 
out to them the birds and the squirrels. 

One day his six-year-old son brought home in 
his straw hat a helpless mocking bird, only a few 
days old, which had been picked up in the road 
where it had fallen from a nest that could not be 
found. The boy trembled a little for fear of what 
his father would say, for he had been taught that 
he must not rob nests of eggs or birds. There 
was a family council, and it was decided that there 
was no other way but to cage the little bird. 

What joy the Lanier family took in the educa- 
tion of that mocking bird ! For many years after 
it fell a victim to a cat the boys talked of the 



346 



MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 



concerts when the flute of their father "would 
trill with extravagant grace to the silent but heed- 
ful wonder of the 
caged one," and 
when the bird 
would answer in 
notes that were the 
despair of a player 
on any man-made 
instrument. 

The hours and 
days in the woods 
that prepared Sid- 
ney Lanier to give 
joy to his own 
children so many 
years later were 
not his only time 
of recreation. He 
was always ready 
to turn from out- 
of-door sports to 
his father's library. 
There father and son, real cronies, read " with ab- 
sorbing interest the stories of Sir Walter Scott, the 
romances of Froissart, the adventures of Gil Bias, 
and other stories that his boyish mind delighted in." 




A MOUNTAIN MOCKING BIRD (Male) 
From a drawing by Audubon 



SIDNEY LANIER 347 

At Oglethorpe University, which Sidney entered 
when he was fifteen years old, he found in one 
of the younger professors a friend whose tastes 
were like his own. With him the student used to 
take rambles in the woods, or go for long drives 
whenever there was opportunity. The time would 
be spent in looking at the birds, the trees, and 
the other beautiful things about them, or in talk- 
ing of what interested both of them, or by Lanier 
in playing the flute while the professor listened 
breathlessly to the music. 

The musician was popular among his fellows. 
They liked him because, although he was one of 
the best students in the college, he did not act as 
if he were above them. One of his companions 
wrote : 

I shall never forget those moonlight nights at old Ogle- 
thorpe, when, after study hours, we would crash up the 
stairway and get out on the cupola, making the night merry 
with music, song and laughter. Sid would play upon his 
flute like one inspired, while the rest of us would listen in 
solemn silence. 

Another college mate gave this pleasant picture 
of dormitory life : 

I have seen him take a banjo, for he could play on any 
instrument, and, as with deft fingers he w^ould strike some 
strange new note or chord, you would see his eyes brighten ; 



348 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

he would begin to smile and laugh as if his very soul was 
tickled, while his hearers would catch the inspiration, and 
an old-fashioned "walk-round" and "negro breakdown," 
in which all would participate, would be the inevitable 
result. 

Soon after his graduation, at eighteen, he became 
a tutor in the college. In a notebook he told at 
this time of his desire to find out what he ought 
to do with himself in life. He felt that his chief 
talent was for music, and that he could be a great 
composer. " But I cannot bring myself to believe 
that I was intended for a musician," he said. 

A little later a young man of his own age, a 
teacher in an academy in the town, said of him : 

The tutor is a brick. He is studying for a professorship ; 
is going to remain here about two years, then go to Heidel- 
berg, Germany, remain about two years, come back, and 
take a professorship somewhere. ... He is the finest flute 
player you or I ever saw. It is perfectly splendid — his 
playing. His flute cost fifty dollars, and he runs the notes 
as easily as anyone on the piano. 

But the dream of the music-loving tutor was 
interrupted by the Civil War. When, on January 2, 
1 86 1, Georgia declared its independence of the 
Union, he decided to stand by his native state, 
though with heavy heart. He enlisted in the first 
company that went out of the state to Virginia 



SIDNEY LANIER 349 

and served throughout the war. During the many 
leisure hours of camp hfe, and the four months 
spent in prison at Point Lookout, Maryland, he 
inspired his fellow soldiers by his music, he 
dreamed of the future, and he read many books 
which made him feel that he wanted to spend his 
life in writing messages that would help other peo- 
ple. A few of his early poems were composed while 
he was a prisoner, amid surroundings that made 
beasts of many men. But always he was clean- 
hearted. A fellow prisoner said, "In all our inter- 
course I can remember no conversation or word 
of his that an angel might not have uttered or 
listened to." 

From the prison camp he went to his home in 
Macon, broken in health. He made up his mind 
to do his best to help the South to find new 
life as a part of the reunited nation. His first 
work was as clerk in a hotel. During his spare 
time he completed the novel "Tiger Lilies," begun 
while he was in the army. When this was pub- 
lished, in 1867, it was well received, and the author 
began to look forward definitely to a literary life. 

The South was poor, and few could afford to buy 
his books, so he had to support himself by teaching. 
His writing he did after the teaching day was done. 
Many ambitious young men were leaving Georgia 



350 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

for the North, because they thought they could have 
no future where they were, but Mr. Lanier was a 
hero, and he made up his mind to stand by his state. 

For years it was a struggle to make a living. In 
Macon he practiced law, but his professional work 
was interrupted several times by trips to New York 
to see doctors; he was never well after he left the 
prison camp. In search of health he went to San 
Antonio, Texas, yet no one would have known from 
his words or his letters that he was in constant pain. 
The poems, of which he wrote many during those 
days, spoke of joy and peace and the love of God. 

In 1873 he decided that it would be a pity to 
continue to be a third-rate lawyer if he could do 
something else really worth while far better. For 
this reason he went to Baltimore and spent a year 
in playing the flute in an orchestra, to admiring 
audiences. 

In his spare time he wrote poems that stirred 
the hearts of readers all over the country. When 
he saw that he could not be both a musician and 
a poet, he turned his thoughts to the verse by which 
he was proving his right to be called one of the 
great poets of the country. At this period he spoke 
of life as a time "during which I must get upon 
paper as many as possible of the poems with which 
my heart is stuffed like a schoolboy's pocket." He 



SIDNEY LANIER 35 I 

did not write just because he wanted money. " I 
don't work for bread," he said. He worked be- 
cause he felt that this was why he had come into 
the world. 

His first great chance came when he was asked 
to write the cantata to be sung at the opening of 
the Centennial Exposition at Philadelphia, in 1876. 
This cantata was a great success, not only as a 
poem but as the expression of faith in the future 
of the American Union by one who had been a 
Confederate soldier. 

Only five years of life remained to the invalid 
after this Philadelphia success. These years were 
crowded so full of work that he found it difficult 
to take the time to go to Florida in search of health. 
After the Florida trip he became teacher of English 
literature in Johns Hopkins University. 

His courage and brightness, even at the time when 
he knew that his life was nearly ended, were shown 
by the first sentence of a letter he wrote in 1878: 

The painters, the whitewashers, the plumbers, the lock- 
smiths, the carpenters, the gas-fitters, the stove-put-upers, 
the carmen, the piano movers, the carpet-layers — all these 
have I seen, bargained with, reproached for bad jobs, and 
finally paid off. . . . I have moreover hired a colored gentle- 
woman who is willing to wear out my carpets, burn out my 
range, freeze out my water pipes, and be generally useful. 



352 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

As he grew weaker, he wrote more powerfully. 
Indeed, some have thought that his inspiration was 
greatest when he was weakest. He wrote " Sunrise," 
which has been called his best poem, when his fever 
was at one hundred and four degrees. Yet he was 
always the jolly companion of his children and the 
cheerful friend of those who had learned to love him. 

He became famous during his last years, but his 
fame has increased since his death. And his chief 
claim to fame is that by his perfect work he did 
more, perhaps, than any other literary man to hasten 
the day of the welding of the nation that was torn 
by the tragedy of civil war. 

References for Further Reading 

Lanier, Sidney. Bob, the Story of Our Mocking Bird. Charles 

Scribner's Sons, New York. 
MiMS, Edwin. Sidney Lanier. Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston. 
Snyder, H. N. Sidney Lanier. Methodist Book Concern, New York. 
Some Reminiscences and Early Letters of Sidney Lanier. Published 

privately, Macon, Georgia. 






Genius is two per cent inspiration and ninety-eight 
per cent perspiration. 



Thomas A. Edison 



?/nYynvyAvynvy/^~vvrv/nv/nY/nvY/^vyr^^ 



CHAPTER XXVII 

THOMAS A. EDISON, ELECTRICIAN 

(Born February ii, 1847, in Milan, Ohio) 

My mother was the making of me. She was so true, so 
sure of me ; I felt that I had some one to hve for, some 
one I must not disappoint. The memory of her will always 
be a blessing to me. 

This was Thomas A. Edison's tribute to the 
mother who made a man of him. He was a care- 
less boy, and but for her firm, careful handling, 
he feels that he would probably have turned out 
badly. At home she was his inspiration, arid at 
school the thought of her strengthened him and 
kept him from many things for which he might 
have been sorry. 

Long after her death he said this of her: 

The good effects of her early training I can never lose. 
If it had not been for her appreciation and her faith in me 
at a critical time in my experience, I should very likely 

353 



354 



MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 



never have become an inventor^ You see, my mother was 
a Canadian girl, who went to teach school in Nova Scotia. 
She believed that many boys who turned out badly by the 
time they grew to manhood would have become valuable 

citizens if they had 
been handled in the 
right way when they 
were young. Her 
years of experience 
as a school teacher 
taught her many 
things about human 
nature, and especially 
about boys. 

Milan, the Edi- 
son home town, 
was on a canal 
which enabled the 
ships from Lake 
Huron to reach 
the town. When 
Thomas was a 
boy there were always vessels on this canal, and he 
soon learned the way to the dock. When he was 
four years old he would frequently slip away from 
home and run to the water. He was attracted by 
the shipping, but he was attracted still more by 
the activity in the shipbuilding yards. He liked 




THOMAS A. EDISON AT SEVENTEEN 



THOMAS A. EDISON 355 

to handle the tools of the ship carpenters and to 
ask why they did things as they did them. 

His brief course in the school at Port Huron, 
Michigan, where the family soon moved, was supple- 
mented by his mother's careful instruction. She 
guided him in his lessons and she taught him to 
read, or she read to him, such volumes as Hume's 
"History of England," Gibbon's "History of the 
Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire," and 
Sears's " History of the World," as well as books 
on electricity and science. 

He was only eleven when he began to assist in 
the support of the family. With the consent of 
his parents, he applied for the privilege of selling 
newspapers and other things on the trains of the 
Grand Trunk Railroad. When he received a letter 
telling him that he could have the privilege, he 
was delighted. His run was to be short, only from 
Port Huron to Detroit, so that he could spend 
much time at home. 

From the beginning the young news agent 
showed much enterprise. He became popular both 
with the passengers and with the train crews. No 
objection was made when he asked whether he 
might make use of the unoccupied express com- 
partment in the combination car on his train, so he 
installed a small printing office, a chemical laboratory, 



356 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

and a telegraph instrument. There he printed a 
Httle paper called The Weekly Herald, which had 
in 1862 a regular list of about five hundred sub- 
scribers. It is said that he sometimes made as much 
as forty-five dollars a month from the paper. 

In addition to gossip calculated to interest the 
trainmen and the regular passengers, the young 
editor sometimes printed in the Herald news bul- 
letins that were handed to him by operators at the 
stations along the line. Once in a while he was 
able to print, in an extra, news that had not yet 
appeared in any paper. 

All went well with the improvised printing office 
and laboratory until one day when the ambitious 
news agent was making a chemical experiment. A 
sudden jolt made him drop a bottle of phosphorus 
which at once burst into a flame. The car caught 
fire. Edison was trying to put out the fire when 
the conductor rushed in and succeeded in extin- 
guishing the blaze. The boy waited for the punish- 
ment which he felt sure was coming. How it came 
has been told by E. C. Kenyon : 

The poor lad was deposited on the platform, with his 
type, chemicals, and other property. The brutal conductor, 
in his rage, gave him, before he descended, such a severe 
box on the ear, that the delicate organ of hearing was 
injured for life. 



THOMAS A. EDISON 357 

Left alone and desolate among the fragments of his 
poor belongings, ill dressed and ill fed, poor young Edison 
stood looking after his beloved laboratory and workshop dis- 
appearing in the distance. He felt stunned and miserably 
disappointed. 

But the printing oflfice and laboratory were soon 
installed- in an attic room of the house at Port 
Huron. Here Edison would go for practice in the 
evening. Telegraph lines were built to the houses 
of a number of his boy friends. To these boys he 
was able to talk, after he had imparted to them 
the knowledge of telegraphy he had secured from 
operators along the road. 

When he was fifteen years old, a grateful oper- 
ator, whose child he had saved from death, offered 
to make him an expert telegrapher. Before long he 
asked for and was given an appointment as night 
operator at the Port Huron station, at a salary of 
twenty-five dollars a month. This position he held 
for some time, but he was so fond of making experi- 
ments during the day that he frequently fell asleep 
at night. For this reason he was discharged. 

After serving for some years as a telegraph oper- 
ator in a number of towns and cities, he fitted up 
in Boston a small shop in which he made many 
experiments after the day's work was done. Here, 
when he was still under twenty, he made the first 



358 



MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 



invention for which he secured a patent, a vote- 
recording machine by means of which he hoped 




© I'nderuood & I'n; 

THOMAS A. EDISON IN HIS LABORATORY 



to purify the ballot. The invention worked well, 
but it performed a service that did not seem to be 
in demand. " I made a vow that I w^ould not invent 



THOMAS A. EDISON 359 

anything which was not wanted, or was not neces- 
sary to the community at large," the inventor has 
said, in telHng of the disappointing experience. 

Though Edison had few idle moments, there 
came a time during his residence in Boston when 
he decided to have still less of these. A friend with 
whom he roomed has told of his resolution : 

Once, when he was very busy experimenting, he bought 
the whole of Faraday's works on electricity, and, having 
brought them home at three o'clock in the morning, read 
without stopping until I got up, and it was time for us to 
adjourn for breakfast to the place, a mile distant, where 
we took our meals. Edison was full of interest and excite- 
ment about what he had been reading. ''Adam," he said, 
" I 've got so much to do and life is so short that I'm 
going to hustle." 

A good position in New York, secured because 
of his sustained genius, gave him more time and 
money for his experiments. Here he made a num- 
ber of improvements of interest to telegraphers. 
But he found great difficulty in persuading anyone 
with influence to listen to his explanations. He 
was especially anxious to talk to the president of 
the Western Union, and he made many vain visits 
to his office. On one of these visits he found the 
president in despair because the New York opera- 
tors could not talk with Albany. The president 



36o 



MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 



challenged him to find what was wrong, and offered 
to listen to all he had to say if he could discover 
the trouble within two days. Edison accepted the 
challenge, and by means of a simple expedient of 
which no one had thought he located the difficulty 







m0 - 'm" 


W{ 

Cb,ew»c*r -Br 



THOMAS A. EDISON AT THE DESK 



within two hours. The president kept his promise. 
It was not long before he realized that he had a 
prize in his new helper, for he learned of Edison's 
valuable invention of the duplex telegraph instru- 
ment, by means of which two messages can be sent 
in opposite directions at the same time, over the 
same wire. 



THOMAS A. EDISON 361 

By this time Edison had a factory in Newark, 
New Jersey. Here a large number of men assisted 
him. These assistants marveled at his unusual 
ability to devote himself unceasingly to his work 
when he had a hard problem to solve, and they 
found his enthusiasm contagious. On one occa- 
sion, when speaking of his work with these loyal 
assistants, he said : 

We had no fixed hours, but the men, so far from object- 
ing to the irregularity, often begged to be allowed to return 
and complete certain experiments upon which they knew 
my heart was set. 

When Alexander Graham Bell patented the tele- 
phone, in 1876, there was one serious difiBculty with 
his apparatus ; it had no transmitter. Edison set to 
work and devised the carbon button which is to-day 
a part of the telephone equipment. Without this 
the rapid development of the telephone would not 
have been possible. 

The idea of the incandescent electric light came 
to Edison when he saw an arc light exhibited by a 
circus. The Edison Electric Light Company was 
formed, and the inventor and a number of assistants 
began work at Menlo Park, New Jersey, on the 
problem of breaking up the big light into little 
lights that would be steady and bright. 



362 



MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 



In solving the problem Edison conducted one 
of the most marvelous series of experiments in 
the history of his work. He saw that he needed 

a filament for the 
lamp. After vari- 
ous attempts, it 
was found that a 
filament made of 
cotton thread, car- 
bonized, gave good 
results. The in- 
ventor told in The 
Electrical Review 
what followed : 

We sat down and 
looked at that lamp. 
We wanted to see 
how long it would 
burn. The problem 
was solved — if the 
filament would last. 
The day was — let 
me see — October 2 1 , 
1879. ... The lamp continued to burn, and the longer it 
burned the more fascinated we were. None of us could 
go to bed and there was no sleep for any of us for forty 
hours. ... It lasted about forty-five hours, and then I 
said, ''If it will burn that number of hours now, I know 




Press Illustrating' Company 

THOMAS A. EDISON 

Standing beside the phonograph tester in liis 
workshop 



THOMAS A. EUISON 363 

I can make it burn a hundred." We saw that cotton 
was what we wanted, and the next question was what kind 
of cotton. I began to try various things, and finally I 
carbonized a strip of bamboo from a Japanese fan, and 
saw that I was on the right track. But we had a rare 
hunt finding the real thing. I sent a schoolmaster to 
Sumatra and another fellow up the Amazon, while one of 
my associates went to Japan and got what we wanted. 
Then we made a contract with an old Jap to supply us 
with a proper fiber, and that man went to work and culti- 
vated and cross-fertilized bamboo until he got exactly the 
quality we required. 

One of the numerous '' notion books " in w^hich 
Edison kept a record of his experiments shows 
that he tried at least two hundred varieties of 
bamboo before he noted the name of the filament 
against which he wrote '* Eureka." At last the 
inventor had an answer for the professor of physics 
who said the Edison lamp would not burn. 

Twenty years later the investments in electric- 
lighting plants in the United States amounted to 
$750,000,000. 

During the generation since the triumphant con- 
clusion of the search for a proper filament for the 
electric light, the inventor has perfected hundreds 
of inventions, of which the most important are the 
phonograph, the kinetoscope, the electric locomo- 
tive, and the storage battery. 



364 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

By fifty years of inventive work Edison has 
shown that there is a good deal in his statement 
that " Genius is two per cent inspiration and ninety- 
eight per cent perspiration." 

References for Further Reading 

Jones, Francis Arthur. Thomas Alva Edison : Sixty Years of an 
Inventor's Life. Thomas Y. Crowell Company, New York. 

Kenyon, E. C. Thomas Alva Edison : The Telegraph Boy who be- 
came a Great Inventor. Thomas Whittaker, New York. 



^>p(AU>WJX kUAAUXVUX\U^^ 



If a membrane as thin as tissue paper can control the 

vibration of bones that, compared to it, are of immense 

size and weight, why should not a larger and thicker 

membrane be able to vibrate a piece of iron in front of an 

electromagnet? a,.,,..,. r> r> 

t? Alexander Graham Beli. 



b^/r^>^/^VYA^^nw/-^>^r^yVAV/AvrAW/^Yl^^^ 



CHAPTER XXVIII 

ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL, INVENTOR OF THE 
TELEPHONE 

(Born in Edinburgh, Scotland, March 3, 1847) 

In 1868 Alexander Graham Bell, then a young 
man of twenty-one, listened spellbound to the presi- 
dent of the London Philological Society as he ex- 
plained to him how a tuning fork could be made 
to sing by a magnet or an electrified wire. At 
once Bell began to ask himself questions. What 
was to prevent the invention of a musical telegraph, 
a telegraph with a piano keyboard by means of 
which many messages could be sent over a single 
wire ? Wliy could not a musical note be made to 
represent the dot or dash of the telegraph code ? 
And why should he not be the inventor to work 
this wonder? 

From that day he busied himself with experi- 
ments; feverishly he worked and enthusiastically 

365 



366 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

he talked of his dream to others. Once he said to 
a friend, " Do you know that if I sing the note G 
close to the strings of the piano, the G string will 
answer me ? " " Well, what then ? " was the chilling 
response. But Bell was not easily discouraged. "It 
is an evidence that we may some day have a musi- 
cal telegraph," he replied, " a telegraph which will 
send as many messages simultaneously over one 
wire as there are notes on the piano." 

It was not strange that Bell was interested in the 
problem of the transmission of sound. Both his 
father and his grandfather had devoted their lives 
to the investigation of human speech. Alexander 
Bell, the grandfather, had invented an apparatus to 
correct impediments in speech. He wished to make 
the deaf hear, but he did not live to fulfill his 
dream. Alexander Melville Bell, the son, a college 
lecturer on elocution, succeeded in devising a 
method of teaching deaf-mutes to speak which is 
to-day in use in many schools for the deaf and dumb. 

Alexander Graham Bell was only sixteen when 
he became a teacher of elocution in England. In 
1868 he succeeded in teaching several deaf-born 
children to speak. Two years later his work was 
interrupted by failing health. For the sake of 
the climate his father moved with his family to 
Canada. There outdoor life restored the young 



ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL 



;67 



mans health so completely that in 1871 he was 
able to begin work once more. 

During these years he had not forgotten his 
dream of the musical telegraph, and when his health 
was restored he 
hesitated whether 
to give his time to 
the invention he 
longed to make or 
to go on with his 
work for deaf chil- 
dren. For a time 
at least the prob- 
lem was solved for 
him. An invita- 
tion came to him 
from the Boston 
Board of Educa- 
tion to go to that 
city and intro- 
duce his method 
of teaching deaf 

mutes ; they had learned of his work in England 
and they needed his help. 

His success in Boston was so great that he had 
no time to think of his invention. When he was 
only twenty-four he was made a professor in Boston 




© by Harris and Kuing 

ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL 



368 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

University. Later he opened his School of Vocal 
Physiology, which provided him with so much work 
that the course of his life might have been changed. 

Fortunately, however, he was asked to make 
his home with a family in Salem, Massachusetts, 
that he might teach the deaf-mute son, Georgie 
Sanders, how to speak. Wishing to make the 
best use of his evening hours, he asked and 
received permission to have a workroom in the 
basement of the house. 

It was not long before he was spending every 
spare hour on his elusive invention of a musical 
telegraph or on experiments in sending speech 
over an electric wire. Thomas Sanders, the father 
of the ■ boy he was teaching in the daytime, told 
of these laborious hours : 

Often in the middle of the night Bell would wake me 
up. His black eyes w^ould be blazing with excitement. 
Leaving me to go down cellar, he would rush wildly to 
the barn and begin to send me signals along his experi- 
mental wires. If I noticed any improvement in his 
machine,, he would be delighted. He would leap and 
whirl around in one of his war-dances, and then go con- 
tentedly to bed. But if the experiment was a failure, he 
would go back to his workbench and try some different plan. 

Another of Bell's students was Mabel Hubbard, 
a fifteen-year-old girl who had lost her hearing 



ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL 369 

through scarlet fever. She became convinced that 
her teacher was sure to be a great inventor, and 
she did not rest until she had interested her 
father, Gardiner G. Hubbard, in his plans. Hub- 
bard thought that something might come of the 
idea of the musical telegraph, but he was impa- 
tient when Bell spoke of sending speech over a 
wire. " Now you are talking nonsense," he said. 
" Such a thing could never be more than a scien- 
tific toy." 

But Bell persisted in his idea that the voice 
could be transmitted just as well as musical notes 
representing the dots and dashes of the Morse 
code. "If I can make a deaf-mute talk, I can 
make iron talk," he said. 

For many months he tried in vain to find a 
suitable apparatus for the transmission of sound. 
Then he made a careful study of the human ear. 
When he noted how the eardrum vibrated the 
bone and so transmitted sound, he said to him- 
self, " If a membrane as thin as tissue paper can 
control the vibration of bones that, compared to it, 
are of immense size and weight, why should not 
a larger and thicker membrane be able to vibrate a 
piece of iron in front of an electromagnet ? " When 
this thought came to him the first great step in the 
invention of the telephone transmitter was taken. 



370 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

By this time the thought of his invention had 
become so absorbing that he paid no attention to 
anything else. Income ceased, for he had no 
time for pupils. Friends who had been advancing 
money to him said he could look for nothing 
more from them unless he would give up his 
ear-toy and work on the musical telegraph. '' I 
am now beginning to realize the cares and anxie- 
ties of being an inventor," he wrote to his mother. 

It was fortunate that just at this critical time 
he met Professor Joseph Henry, the great electri- 
cian, who listened to his description of his plans 
and said to him, " You are in possession of the 
germ of a great invention, and I should advise you 
to work at it until you have made it complete." 

Bell objected that he had not the electrical 
knowledge necessary to perfect the invention. 
" Get it," urged Professor Henry. And Bell pro- 
ceeded to do so. 

Months passed. The youthful experimenter had 
moved his shop from the Salem basement to 
109 Court Street, Boston. There he had an 
assistant, Thomas Watson, whose wages were 
paid by the friends who had agreed to help Bell 
so long as he would confine his efforts to the 
musical telegraph. Loyally he did so until one 
afternoon in June, 1875, when, most unexpectedly, 



ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL 371 

a vibration made by Watson in a crude instrument 
in one room was transmitted to the instrument held 
by Bell in an adjoining room. No one but Bell, with 
his trained ear, would have noted the sound or would 
have understood the significance of the event. 

From that moment he resolved to devote all 
his energies to the transmission of the human 
voice over a wire. It was not easy to persuade 
the friends who were supplying the funds for his 
work that the musical telegraph should be aban- 
doned, but he did persuade them, and the way 
was open for him to push the work so well begun. 

Of the next encouraging result Mr. Bell told 
a group of scientists in 1877: 

I remember an experiment which at the time gave me 
great satisfaction and delight. One of the telephones was 
placed in my lecture room in the Boston University, and 
the other in the basement of the adjoining building. One 
of my students repaired to the distant telephone to observe 
the effects of articulate speech, while I uttered the sen- 
tence, '* Do you understand what I say ? " into the tele- 
phone placed in the lecture room hall. To my delight 
an answer was returned through the instrument itself, 
articulate sounds proceeded from the spring attached to 
the membrane, and I heard the sentence, "Yes, I 
understand you perfectly." It is a mistake, however, to 
suppose that the articulation was by any means perfect 
. . . still the articulation was there. 




372 



ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL 373 

In March, 1876, the assistant, who was in the 
basement, was astonished to hear the words, in the 
unmistakable voice of his employer, " Mr. Watson, 
come here, I want you." The assistant dropped the 
receiver from which the sound had come and dashed 
up three flights of stairs, seeking Mr. Bell, shouting 
as he went, " I can hear you ! I can hear the words." 

The patent received for this invention was 
awarded in March, 1876, for what Bell described 
as "an improvement in telegraphy." 

Soon after the granting of the patent the Cen- 
tennial Exposition at Philadelphia opened, and 
the crude telephone was one of the exhibits. 
That no one appreciated the importance of the 
invention appears from the fact that but eighteen 
words were given to it in the offlcial catalogue 
and that it was put in an obscure corner of the 
space devoted to the Massachusetts Educational 
Exhibit. For six weeks it attracted no attention. 

The inventor had not planned to go to the Ex- 
position, for he felt he could not afford the trip. 
But he did go to the train to say good-by to 
Mabel Hubbard, who later became Mrs. Bell. 
Her disappointment when she learned that he 
did not intend to go to Philadelphia proved more 
than he could bear, and he jumped on the train, 
though he had neither ticket nor baggage. 



374 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

This proved to be a most fortunate trip, for 
on June 24, 1876, the only day on which the 
inventor visited the Exposition, when the judges 
were making a tour of inspection, he was near 
the corner where the telephone had been placed, 
awaiting their coming with rapidly beating heart, for 
they had promised to visit his exhibit. At last they 
approached, but it was late, they w^ere tired, and 
some of them talked of leaving the Exposition at 
once. One man handled the telephone listlessly, 
and another made a slighting remark about it. 

At that moment Dom Pedro de Alcantara, 
Emperor of Brazil, in company with his wife and 
other noted visitors, entered the room. At once 
he recognized the inventor, whom he had met in 
the deaf-mute instruction room at Boston Uni- 
versity. " Professor Bell, I am delighted to see 
you again," was his greeting. 

The judges had no further thought of retiring 
without seeing what Mr. Bell had on his table. 
They listened intently to Dom Pedro's questions. 
Curiously they watched the Emperor as he went 
to one end of the room and took down the re- 
ceiver, while Bell went to the other end of the 
wire and spoke quietly into the transmitter. The 
judges could hear nothing, but the amazed Dom 
Pedro exclaimed in wonder, "It talks!" 



ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL 



75 




Joseph Henry, who had encouraged Bell to 
study electricity, was in the room. He too tested 
the instrument and was delighted. Sir William 
Thompson, a fa- 
mous English sci- 
entist, listened in 
his turn to the 
telephone. "It 
does speak," he 
said, with delight. 
"It is the most 
wonderful thing 
I have seen in 
America." 

It was ten 
o'clock before the 
judges left the 
telephone corner. 
Next day the in- 
vention was given 
a more conspicu- 
ous place, and 
from that time it 
was one of the chief features of the Centennial. 

" Now I shall have the money to promote the 
teaching of speech to deaf children," Mr. Bell 
wrote to his parents. 




SECTION OF THE REAR OF A SWITCHBOARD 

This shows the maze of wires in a modern 
telephone switchboard 



376 MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 

When the first prospe'ctus of the first Bell 
Telephone Company was issued, the statement 
was made, "The proprietors are now prepared to 
furnish telephones for the transmission of articu- 
late speech between instruments not more than 
twenty miles apart." On October 31, 1877, 
Mr. Bell said, in an address to the Society of 
Telegraph Engineers, in London, England : 

The question will naturally arise, " Through what 
length of wire can the telephone be used ? " . . . The 
longest length of real telephone line through which I 
have attempted to converse has been about two hundred 
and fifty miles. 

The first long-distance line — from Boston to 
Salem, sixteen miles — was constructed in 1877. 
Three years later a man in Boston could talk 
with a friend in Lowell. In 1887 the line between 
Boston and New York was opened, wdiile in 1893 
New York and Chicago were connected. Gradu- 
ally wires were extended until, in 191 5, the com- 
mercial line from New York to San Francisco 
was opened to the public. 

The telephone is but one of the many inven- 
tions which Alexander Graham Bell has made. 
Some of the most important improvements in the 
aeroplane are credited to him. He invented the 



ALEXANDER GRAHAM BELL 2>^^ 

telephone probe for the painless detection of bul- 
lets in the human body. By the use of this 
apparatus the exact location of the bullet in 
President Garfield's body was found. He was 
one of the inventors of the phonograph and of 
the flat-disk records used in that instrument, and 
he devised the spectrophone, an instrument of 
importance in the study of the heavenly bodies. 

References for Further Reading 

Bell, Professor Alexander Graham. Researches in Electric 

Telephony. London, 1878. 
Casson, Herbert N. The Birth of the Telephone. WorhVs Work, 

March, 1910. 



INDEX 



Abstinence, Franklin's habits of, 8 

Adams, John, urges Thomas Jeffer- 
son to prepare Declaration of 
Independence, 74 

Adams, John Quincy, the making 
of a patriot, 135; boyish exag- 
geration, 136; letter to his father, 
137; goes to Paris, 138; portrait, 
139; goes to Russia and Eng- 
land, 139; at Harvard College, 
139; writes of the United States 
Constitution, 140, 142; minister 
to The Hague, 142 ; minister to 
Berlin, 143; United States sena- 
tor, 143; Secretary of State and 
President. 144; works out the 
Monroe Doctrine, 144; his idea 
of the dignity of service, 145 

Allston, Washington, artist, teaches 
S. F. B. Morse, 190 

Ambition, boyhood, of Daniel Boone, 
53 ; of George Rogers Clark, 80 ; 
of Alexander Hamilton, 100; of 
Robert Fulton, 114; of Eli Whit- 
ney, 124; of John James Audubon, 
148; of Daniel Webster, 162; of 
Peter Cooper, 174; of Abraham 
Lincoln, 243, 250; of Cyrus Hall 
McCormick,256; of Francis Park- 
man, 309; why Alexander Graham 
Bell wanted to make money, 375 

Apprenticeship, of Benjamin Frank- 
lin, 4; of Peter Cooper, 174; of 
Horace Greeley, 271 ; of Cyrus 
W. Field, 280 ; of Samuel Lang- 
home Clemens (Mark Twain), 
321, 323 

Artists, famous : Robert Fulton, 114; 
Benjamin West, 115, 191 ; David 
teaches Audubon, 147 ; S. F. B. 
Morse, 189; Washington Allston, 
190 



Atlantic cable, Peter Cooper's part 
in, 181; Cyrus W. Field interested 
in, 283 ; success of project, 288 

Audubon, John James, describes 
Daniel Boone, 59; portrait, 148; 
boyhood in France, 147 ; comes 
to America, 148; outdoor life of, 
149; conceives idea of "The 
Birds of America," 149; room 
of, at Mill Grove, 150; marriage 
of, 1 50 ; floating down the Ohio 
River, 150; adventures of, 151 ; 
privations of, 152, 153, 157; trip 
to Europe, 1 56 ; securing sub- 
scribers, 158 

Autobiography of Franklin, quoted, 
8, 1 1 ; story of, 17 

Bank of North America, established 
by Robert Morris, 45 

Bell, Alexander Graham, Thomas 
A. Edison invents telephone trans- 
mitter for, 361 ; question that 
led to the telephone, 365 ; experi- 
ments, 366 ; ancestry, 366 ; emi- 
gration to Canada, 366 ; portrait, 
367 ; work for deaf mutes, 367 ; two 
successes with pupils, 367, 368; 
study of the human ear, 369 ; first 
successes, 371, 373; at the Cen- 
tennial, 373 ; Dom Pedro and the 
telephone, 374 ; later develop- 
ments, 376; later inventions, 376 

Boone, Daniel, schooling, 51; emi- 
gration to North Carolina, 52; por- 
traits, 52, 55; joins Braddock's 
forces, 53 ; and John Finley, 53 ; 
marriage of, 54 ; flees to Virginia, 
54 ; in Tennessee, 54 ; captured 
by Indians, 56; reaches site of 
Louisville, 57 ; leads emigrants to 
Kentucky, 58 ; selected to make 



379 



38o 



MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 



Wilderness Road, 59; appearance, 

59 ; founds Boonesborough, 60 ; 
fights to save Kentucky from 
French and Indians, 61 ; captured 
by Shawnees, 61 ; narrow escape 
from death, 62 ; adopted by Chief 
Black Fish, 62 ; adventures and 
successful flight, 63, 64 ; applies 
for contract to improve the Wilder- 
ness Road, 65 ; goes to Missouri, 
65 ; loses farm, 66 ; restoration of 
farm, 66 

Boonesborough, Kentucky, founded, 

60 ; Indian plot against, 63 
Boston, population of, in 1685, 3; 

when Longfellow was a boy, 227 
Braddock, General, and George 

Washington, 26 ; and Daniel 

Boone, 53 
Braddock's Road, 53 
Bunker Hill, battle of, 31, 135 
Burr, Aaron, duel with Alexander 

Hamilton, no 

Canals, Camden and Amboy, 178; 
Erie, 177, 273 

Centennial Exposition at Philadel- 
phia, Sidney Lanier writes ode 
for, 351 ; Alexander Graham Bell 
exhibits telephone at, 374 

Chillicothe, Ohio, Daniel Boone 
taken to, by Indians, 62 

Clark, George Rogers, and Daniel 
Boone, 64 ; and Thomas Jeffer- 
son, 77, 80 ; goes to the Ohio 
Valley, 81; portrait, 81; moves 
to Kentucky, 82 ; mission to Vir- 
ginia, 83 ; takes powder to Ken- 
tucky, 84 ; plans campaign against 
British forts, 86 ; commissioned 
for purpose, 86 ; announces pur- 
pose of expedition to his men, 
87; march to Kaskaskia, 88; jour- 
ney to Fort Sackville and cap- 
ture of fort, 91-95; retirement 
of, 96 ; letter of Thomas Jefferson 
to, 96 

Clemens, Samuel Langhorne, boy- 
hood escapades, 320 ; at school, 
321 ; apprenticeship, 321 ; first 



manuscript accepted, 322 ; in New 
York City and Philadelphia, 322 ; 
becomes a " cub " pilot, 323 ; 
death of brother Henry, 323 ; goes 
West, 324; mining, 325; first 
humorous sketch, 325; the name 
"Mark Twain," 326; how he 
became famous, 327 ; the books 
that brought him fortune, 328 ; 
portrait of, 328 ; burdened by debt, 
329 ; lecture tour, 329 
Colleges and universities : William 
and Mary, 68 ; University of Vir- 
ginia, 75 ; King's (Columbia), 102 ; 
Princeton, 102; Yale, 125, 187; 
Harvard, 139, 233; Dartmouth, 
162, 163; Columbia, 193; New 
York University, 196; Washing- 
ton and Lee University, 226 
Bowdoin, 231 ; Wisconsin State 
University, 337 ; Oglethorpe Uni 
versify, 347 ; Johns Hopkins Uni 
versity, 351 ; Boston University 

374 

Constitution, Benjamin Franklin 
helps to draft, 17; John. Quincy 
Adams writes of, 140 

Continental Congress, 13, 29, 31, 
32, 33, 42, 73, 136 

Cooper, Peter, parents of, 173; 
home study, 174 ; apprenticeship, 
174; portrait, 175 ; dread of debt, 
176; Baltimore and Ohio Rail- 
road, 178; Tom Thumb locomo- 
tive, 179; iron mills, 180; first 
Atlantic cable, 181 ; civic work, 
181 ; founds Cooper Union, 182 ; 
and Cyrus W. Field, 283 

Cooper Union, 182, 183 

Corn Island, encampment of George 
Rogers Clark on, 87 ; later home 
of General Clark, 96 

Cotton gin, invention of, 128 ; finan- 
cial returns, 132 ; what it did for 
the country, 134 

Davies, Samuel, his estimate of 
George Washington, 27 

Debt, beginning of United States 
national, 48 ; Robert Morris in 



INDEX 



;8i 



prison for, 50; Thomas Jefferson 
accumulates, 77 ; P^li Whitney 
borrows money for college ex- 
penses, 124; Eli Whitney's trouble 
because of, 130; Daniel Webster's 
financial carelessness, 168; Peter 
Cooper's dread of, 175 ; how Sam 
Houston paid, 203; Sam Houston 
contracts, 207 ; Abraham Lincoln 
assumes, 244 ; Cyrus Hall McCor- 
mick plans to pay, 262 ; Greeley 
farm sold for, 266 ; Greeley's hor- 
ror of, 275; Cyrus W. Pleld's 
assumption of, after failure, 287, 
290; U. S. Grant assumes debts 
for which he was not legally re- 
sponsible, 304; Samuel Langhorne 
Clemens (Mark Twain) follows 
Grant's example, 329 

Declaration of Independence, 13, 
40 ; Jefferson asked to prepare, 
73 ; adopted, 74 

Detroit, Daniel Boone taken to, 
by Indians, 62 

Dignity of service, John Quincy 
Adams on the, 145 

Dom Pedro and the telephone, 374 

Duquesne, Fort, Washington takes, 
28 ; Daniel Boone starts to, 53 

Economy, of Benjamin Franklin, 5; 
of Robert Fulton, 115; of Eli 
Whitney, 124; of Daniel Webster, 
165; of Peter Cooper, 174; of 
S. F. B. Morse, 189; of John 
Muir, 337 ; of Alexander Graham 
Bell, 370 

Edison, Thomas A., debt to mother, 
353 ; portraits, 354, 358, 362 ; on 
the dock, 354 ; school and reading, 
355 ; train news agent, 355 ; ama- 
teur newspaper editor, 356; the 
accident and its results, 3 56 ; learns 
telegraphy, 357 ; first invention, 
358; why he hustled, 359; how 
he secured a position, 360 ; how 
he inspired his assistants, 361 ; 
the electric light, 361 ; series of 
filament experiments, 362 ; " Eu- 
reka," 363 



Electric light, invented by Thomas 
A. Edison, 361 

Electricity, Benjamin Franklin's ex- 
periments, II; S. F. B. Morse's 
experiments, 188, 193; Francis 
Parkman's boyhood play, 308 ; 
Thomas A. Edison's experiments 
and inventions, 361 

Ellsworth, Miss Annie, sends first 
telegraph message, 199 

Emancipation Proclamation, 250 

Emigrants to America : Robert 
Morris, 37; Daniel Boone's father, 
51 ; pioneers in America, 52, 58, 
60, 61, 82, 152, 201, 238, 332; 
Alexander Hamilton, 102 ; John 
James Audubon, 148; John Muir, 
331 ; Alexander Graham Bell, 367 

" Eureka," why Edison wrote, 363 

Failure that led to success, of 
S. F. B. Morse, 196; of Abraham 
Lincoln, 244 ; of Samuel Lang- 
horne Clemens (Mark Twain), 327 ; 
of Thomas A. Edison, 356 

Falls of the Ohio, Daniel Boone 
visits, 57 

Father, of Robert Morris, 38 ; of 
Daniel Boone, 51 ; of Thomas 
Jefferson, 68 ; of Eli Whitney, 
123 ; of John Quincy Adams, 137, 
138; of John James Audubon, 147, 
148; of Daniel Webster, 160, 162, 
167; of Peter Cooper, 173; of 
S. F. B. Morse, 186, 189; of Sam 
Houston, 201 ; of Henry W. Long- 
fellow, 232 ; of Abraham Lincoln, 
238; of Cyrus Hall McCormick, 
254, 256, 260; of Cyrus W. Field, 
279; of Ulysses S. Grant, 291; 
of John Muir, 331, 334, 336; of 
Alexander Graham Bell, 366 

Field, Cyrus W., boyhood pranks, 
278, 279; portrait, 279; early 
struggles in New York, 280; boy- 
hood account keeping, 281 ; be- 
comes interested in Atlantic-cable 
project, 283 ; persistence in spite 
of failure, 284, 286; business losses, 
286 ; success, 288 



;82 



MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 



Financiers of the Revolution : Ben- 
jamin Franklin, i 5; Robert Morris, 
40; Thomas Jefferson, 76 ; Alex- 
ander Hamilton, 105 

Finley, John, and Daniel Boone, 

53' 56 

Fitch, John, an inventor of the 
steamboat, 1 19 

Florida, purchased from Spain, 144; 
Sam Houston and, 207 ; John 
Muir tramps to, 341 ; Sidney 
Lanier seeks health in, 351 

Fort Sackville, Indiana, capture of, 
by George Rogers Clark, 95 

France, gives financial assistance 
to the Colonies, 15; sends troops, 
16 

Franklin, Benjamin, ancestry, 3 ; at 
school, 3 ; apprenticeship, 3, 4 ; 
portrait, 4 ; saving money for 
books, 5 ; goes to New York, 5 ; 
arrives in Philadelphia, 6; quo- 
tations from autobiography of, 6, 
8, 1 1 ; goes to London, 7 ; tem- 
perance habits, 8 ; returns to 
America, 8 ; engraver of paper 
money, 9 ; organizes Junto, 9 ; 
first newspaper venture, 9 ; " Poor 
Richard's Almanack," 9 ; public 
spirit, 10 ; electrical experiments, 
12; invents stove, 12; as Post- 
master-General, 13 ; meets Wash- 
ington, 13; mission of 1756 to 
England, 13; secures repeal of 
Stamp Act, 13 ; mission to France, 
15; secures loan from France, 15; 
conducts peace negotiations, 17 ; 
helps draft Constitution, 17 ; and 
Robert Morris, 40 ; and Robert 
Fulton, 115 

Franklin, Josiah, 3 

Fulton, Robert, school days, 112; 
portrait, 113; shooting candles, 
113; makes first paddle boat, 
114; his purposes in saving, 115; 
studies art in England with Ben- 
jamin West, 115; struggle with 
poverty, 115, 116, 118; various 
inventions, 117 ; letter to George 
Washington, 118; begins work 



Avith Robert Livingston, 120 ; trial 
trip of steamboat, 121 

Games of chance, Peter Cooper's 

aversion to, 176 
Garfield, President, and Alexander 

Graham Bell, 377 
Grant, Ulysses S., early nicknames, 

291 ; boyhood occupations, 291 ; 
" I thinic I can," 292 ; portrait, 

292 ; appointed to West Point, 

293 ; the origin of the initials 
" U. S.," 293 ; first service as a 
soldier, 294; farmer near St. Louis, 
295; at Galena, Illinois, 295; the 
beginning of Civil War service, 
296 ; the famous Paducah procla- 
mation, 29S; " Unconditional Sur- 
render," 299 ; struggles and tri- 
umphs, 300-302 ; Appomattox, 

303 ; " Let us have peace," 303 ; 
presidential terms and tour of the 
world, 303 ; why he preferred de- 
feat, 304 ; how poverty came to, 

304 ; how " Personal Memoirs " 
was written, 305 ; last battle of, 
306 

Great Easterji, the, and the Atlantic 
cable, 287 

Greeley, Horace, early hardships, 
266 ; portrait, 268 ; school, 269 ; 
boyhood occupations, 269 ; pov- 
erty, 270 ; apprenticeship to a 
printer, 271 ; Poultney Debating 
Society, 272; a dutiful son, 272; 
helps his father, 272; in New York, 
273; horror of debt, 275; founds 
A^eta York Tribune, 276; defeat 
for the presidency, 276 

Hamilton, Alexander, boyhood in 
the West Indies, 98 ; portrait, 99 ; 
ambition of, 100, loi ; account of 
great hurricane, loi ; emigrates 
to America, 102; education, 102; 
first address for liberty, 103 ; 
organizes " the Hearts of Oak," 
104 ; answers pamphlets, 104 ; 
joins Washington's staff, 105 ; 
helps Robert Morris, 105 ; urges 



INDEX 



383 



constitution, 106, 107 ; unselfish 
patriotism of, 107 ; secures rati- 
fication by New York, 108; Sec- 
retary of the Treasury, 108 ; his 
financial policy, 108, 109; duel 
with Aaron liJurr, 1 10 

Hancock, John, 30 

Harrodsburg, Kentucky, 83 

Hawthorne, Nathaniel, 231 

Hayne, Webster's second reply to, 
171 

Henderson, Richard, and the Tran- 
sylvania Company, 58 

Henry, Professor Joseph, encour- 
ages Alexander Graham Bell, 
370, 375 

Henry, Patrick, and George Wash- 
ington, 29; and Thomas Jefferson, 
70, 71 ; and George Rogers Clark, 
84, 86, 87 

Holmes, Oliver Wendell, verses on 
Francis Parkman, 319 

Home occupations, of Benjamin 
Franklin, 3, 4 ; of George Wash- 
ington, 21 ; of Daniel Boone, 52 ; 
of Robert Fulton, 112; of Eli 
Whitney, 123 ; of Daniel Webster, 
160; of Peter Cooper, 173; of 
Cyrus Hall McCormick, 254 ; of 
Horace Greeley, 267 ; of John 
Muir, 334 

Houston, Sam, emigration to Ten- 
nessee, 201 ; portrait, 202 ; studies 
and reading, 202, 203 ; among the 
Indians, 203 ; as a school-teacher, 
203, 204; in War of 1812, 204; 
sub-agent of Cherokees, 206 ; 
practices law, 207 ; description of, 
when governor, 208; in the Indian 
Territory, 208; in Texas, 209-215; 
"Remember the Alamo!" 210; 
president of Texas, 212; Texas 
admitted to the United States, 
213; governor of Texas, 213, 214; 
why he was poor, 214 

Hubbard, Mabel, and the Bell tele- 
phone, 373 

Illinois, organized as a county of 
Virginia, 89 



Indian raid, Yadkin Valley, 54 
Indians,George Washington among, 
25-27 ; Daniel Boone among, 52, 
54; Boone captured by, 56, Gi ; 
hinder emigrants, 58 ; Boone 
escapes from, 63 ; attack George 
Rogers Clark, 84 ; in Daniel 
Webster's boyhood, 159; Sam 
Houston and, 201, 203, 205, 206, 
208 ; Abraham Lincoln's ances- 
tors and, 237 ; Francis Parkman 
and, 310, 313 
Inventions, of Benjamin Franklin, 
II, 12; of Robert Fulton, 114, 
117-119; of Eli Whitney, 128; 
of Peter Cooper, 174, 175, 177, 
179, 180; of S. F. B. Morse, 193, 
194 ; of Cyrus Hall McCormick, 
255-260; of Francis Parkman, 
315; of John Muir, 336, 337; of 
Thomas A. Edison, 358, 361-363; 
of Alexander Graham Bell, 368- 
376 

Jackson, General Andrew, and Sam 
Houston, 205, 206 

Jefferson, Thomas, education of, 
68, 70 ; portrait, 69 ; elected to 
House of Burgesses, 70 ; first 
protest against tyranny, 70 ; per- 
sonal appearance, 71 ; builds 
Monticello, 72 ; plans Committee 
of Correspondence, 72 ; first ap- 
pearance in Congress, 73 ; pre- 
pares way for Declaration of 
Independence, jt, ; asked to pre- 
pare Declaration, 73 ; founds 
University of Virginia, 75; gov- 
ernor of Virginia, 75; secures 
provisions for Washington's army, 
76 ; charge and acquittal, 76 ; 
" father of the American dollar," 

77 ; plans government of North- 
west Territory, 77 ; opposes slav- 
ery in new territories, 77 ; in Paris, 
77 ; Secretary of State under 
Washington, 77 ; vice president, 

78 ; president, 78 ; commissions 
George Rogers Clark, 86; writes 
to General Clark, 96 ; grants 



MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 



384 



patent for cotton gin to Eli 
Whitney, 129 
Jones, David, writes of George 
Rogers Clark's trip to the West, 
81 

Kaskaskia, taken by George Rogers 

Clark, 88 
Kentucky, Daniel Boone plans to 

go to, 53 ; preserving the territory 

for the Union, 84 

Lake George, Francis Parkman's 
visit to, 309 

Lanier, Sidney, childhood ramblings, 
343 ; first musical instrument, 344 ; 
portrait, 344 ; the Lanier mocking 
bird, 345 ; college days, 347 ; 
popularity, 348 ; enlistment and 
prisoner of war, 348, 349; first 
writing, 349 ; not writing merely 
for money, 351 ; brave fight with 
disease, 351 ; life work, 352 

Lee, Robert E., portrait, 217;' at 
school, 218, 219; care of mother, 
219; at West Point, 220; in 
Mexican War, 220; superintend- 
ent at West Point, 222 ; appointed 
commander of Virginia troops in 
1861, 223; ability as a general, 
224; his generosity, 225; his 
greatness in defeat, 225; last 
days, 226 

Lewis and Clark, expedition of, to 
the Pacific coast, 79 

Lincoln, Abraham, ancestors of, and 
the Indians, 237 ; removal to In- 
diana, 238 ; death of mother, 238 ; 
portrait, 239 ; debt to mother, 240 ; 
school and reading, 241 ; appear- 
ance as a boy, 243 ; trip to New 
Orleans, 243; first sight of slavery, 
243; various occupations, 243; 
failures that made the man, 244 ; 
ambition to be a lawyer, 246; con- 
ception of a lawyer's calling, 247 ; 
first great speech on slavery ques- 
tion, 248 ; modesty, 249 ; elected 
President, 249; Emancipation 
Proclamation, 250 ; how he turned 



Uyes into friends, 250; place in 
history, 251 ; cost of fame and 
service, 251 ; letter to a mother, 
252 ; assassination, 252 
Livingston, Robert R., and Robert 

Fulton, 120 
'' Long Bobs " and " Short Bobs," 46 
Longfellow, Henry Wadsworth, boy- 
hood, 227; portrait, 228; school 
and reading, 229 ; first verses, 

230 ; a classmate's description of, 

231 ; professor of modern lan- 
guages, 232 ; in Europe, 232 ; 
habits, 233; professor at Harvard, 
233; first volume of verse, 234; 
death of Mrs. Longfellow, 235 ; 
last message, 235 

Louisiana, purchase of, 79 
Louisville, Daniel Boone reaches 
site of, 57 

McCormick, Cyrus Hall, at school, 
254; boyhood inventions, 255; 
portrait, 255 ; experiments on the 
reaper, 257, 258; first test, 259, 
260 ; first advertisement, 261 ; 
growth of the industry, 262 ; in 
London, 263; reaper's part in the 
development of America, 264; 
honors and gifts, 264, 265 

Monroe Doctrine, the, 144 

Morris, Robert, comes to America, 
37 ; in business, 37, 38 ; captured 
by the French, 38 ; portrait of, 
39 ; and Stamp Act, 39 ; financier 
of the Revolution, 40 ; sacrifice 
of, 42 ; secures lead for Washing- 
ton, 42 ; Superintendent of Fi- 
nance, 44 ; appeals to Governor 
of Virginia, 44 ; agent of marine, 
45 ; establishes Bank of North 
America, 45 ; bad investments 
and private misfortunes, 48 ; un- 
finished house, 49 ; in prison, 50 

Monticello, home of Thomas Jeffer- 
son, 72, 76 

Morse, Samuel F. B., school, 185 
letters to father, 186; portrait, 187 
reading, 187 ; at Yale College, 187 
experiments in electricity, 188 



INDEX 



185 



self-support, 189; work as artist, 
189; studies art in Europe under 
AUston, 190; studies art in Europe 
under West, 191 ; returns to Amer- 
ica, 192 ; invents fire-engine force 
pump, 192; birth of the idea of 
the telegraph, 194; disappoint- 
ment that made him famous, 196 ; 
first exhibition of the telegraph, 
196 ; application for patents, 198 ; 
appropriation for trial line, 199 ; 
" What hath God wrought ! " 199 ; 
and Cyrus W. Field, 283 

Mother, of George Washington, 20, 
27; of Robert Fulton, 115, 116; 
of John Quincy Adams, 138; of 
Daniel Webster, 159, 167 ; of Sam 
Houston, 201, 204; of Robert E. 
Lee, 219; of Abraham Lincoln, 
240 ; of Horace Greeley, 267 ; of 
Samuel Langhorne Clemens (Mark 
Twain), 321, 322; of Thomas A. 
Edison, 353, 355 

Muir, John, voyage to America, 331 ; 
portrait, 332 ; impressions of Wis- 
consin, 333 ; boyhood occupa- 
tions, 333, 334 ; digging the well, 
334; studying and readmg, 336; 
how time was gained for reading, 
336 ; first ride on a railway train, 
337; working way through college, 
337 ; in search of the beautiful, 
339 ; finding the Sierras and the 
Yosemite, 342 

Nature lovers: Daniel Boone, 51, 
56, 58; Thomas Jefferson, 68; 
John James Audubon, 147-158; 
Sam Houston, 203 ; Henry W. 
Longfellow, 227 ; Francis Park- 
man, 307 ; John Muir, 332-342 ; 
Sidney Lanier, 343 

Newspaper editors : Franklin, 9 ; 
Daniel Webster, 165; Horace 
Greeley, 274, 276; Thomas A. 
Edison, 356 

Northwest Territory, 77, 88, 95, 96 

Ohio River, floating down the, 
150 



Orations, of Patrick Henry, 29 ; of 

Daniel Webster, 168, 171 
Oregon, won for the United States^ 

79 

Parkman, Francis, in the woods, 307 ; 
portrait, 308 ; at play, 308 ; per- 
sistence, 309 ; youthful ambition, 
309 ; preparation for life work, 
310; summer trip, 310; law course, 
313; trip to Colorado and Wyo- 
ming, 313; ill health, 313 ; solving 
difficuhies,3i 5; huntingfor health, 
317; books on the Indian wars, 
318; the verdict of the critics, 318 
Persistence, of Eli Whitney, 130; of 
John James Audubon, 1 53, 1 54 ; of 
Daniel Webster, 162, 163; advice 
to Ezekiel Webster, 165; West's 
lesson to Morse, 191 ; of Abraham 
Lincoln, 246 ; of Cyrus Hall 
McCormick, 257 ; of Horace 
Greeley, 274 ; of Cyrus W. Field, 
280, 284; of Ulysses S. Grant, 
292, 301, 305; of Francis Park- 
man, 309, 317; of John Muir, 336; 
of Sidney Lanier, 350 ; of Thomas 
A. Edison, 36^; of Alexander 
Graham Bell, 368 
Phillips Andover Academy, 185 
Phillips Exeter Academy, 160 
Pioneer occupations, 4, 21, 54, 80, 
82. 83, 98, 123, 151, 160, 173, 291, 

333 
Pioneer roads, Braddock's Road, 

53; Wilderness Road, 54, 61, 65 

Poverty, of John James Audubon, 

153; not the greatest evil, 167; 

of Peter Cooper, 173; S. F. B. 

Morse's struggle with, 196, 198; 

reason for Sam Houston's, 214; 

in the home of Horace Greeley, 

270; of Sidney Lanier, 350; of 

Alexander Graham Bell, 370 

Reading, of Daniel Webster, 163, 
164 ; of S. F. B. Morse, 187 ; of 
Sam Houston, 202 ; of Henry W. 
Longfellow, 229 ; of Abraham 
Lincoln, 241 ; of Horace Greeley, 



l86 



MAKERS OF OUR HISTORY 



269; of John Muir, 336; of Sidney 
Lanier, 346; of Thomas A. Edison, 

355' 359 
Revolution, financiers of : Benjamin 
P^rankUn, 15 ; Robert Morris, 37- 
50 ; Alexander Hamilton, 106 

Savannah, Georgia, Eli Whitney in, 
126 

Saving, habits of, Benjamin Erank- 
lin's, 5 

School days, of Benjamin Eranklin, 
3 ; of George Washington, 19, 20; 
of Robert Morris, 37 ; of Daniel 
Boone, 51 ; of Thomas Jefferson, 
68 ; of George Rogers Clark, 80 ; 
of Alexander Hamilton, 102 ; of 
Robert Fulton, 1 1 2 ; of Eli Whitney, 
124; of John Quincy Adams, 137; 
of John James Audubon, 147 ; of 
Daniel Webster, i6o-i6'3 ; of 
S. F. B. Morse, 185 ; of Sam 
Houston, 202 ; of Robert E. Lee, 
219; of Henry W. Longfellow, 
229; of Abraham Lincoln, 241; 
of Cyrus H. McCormick, 254; of 
Horace Greeley, 269 ; of Cyrus 
W. Field, 282 ; of Ulysses S. Grant, 
293 ; of Francis Parkman, 308 ; of 
Samuel Langhorne Clemens ( Mark 
Twain), 321 ; of John Muir, 331 ; 
of Sidney Lanier, 344 ; of Thomas 
A. Edison, 355 

Self-sacrifice, of Daniel Webster, 
167; of S. F. B. Morse, 198; of 
Robert E. Lee, 225; of Abraham 
Lincoln, 249 ; of Horace Greeley, 
272 

" Short Bobs " and " Long Bobs," 46 

Stamp Act, 13, 39 

Steamboat, of John Fitch, 119; of 
Robert Fulton, 120 

Stilly, packet ship, scene of S. F. B. 
Morse's vision of the electric tele- 
graph, 193 

Surveyors: George Washington, 21 ; 
George Rogers Clark, 80, 82, 83 

Telegraph, invention of, 194; first ex- 
hibition of, 196; historic message, 



«99 ; Thomas A. Edison's experi- 
ments, 357 

Telephone, Thomas A. Edison's part 
in inventing, 361 ; invention of, 
369; first tests of, 371; patent, 
373 ; first exhibit, 373 ; growth 
of, 376 

Texas, 209-213 

Thompson, Sir William, encourages 
Alexander Graham Bell, the in- 
ventor of the telephone, 375 

Thoroughness, of Thomas Jefferson, 
70; of Abraham Lincoln, 242, 246; 
of Thomas A. Edison, 363 ; of 
Alexander Graham Bell, 368 

Ticonderoga, Fort, Francis Park- 
man's visit to, 312 

Tom Thumb locomotive, trial trip 
of, 180 

Transylvania Company, Richard 
Henderson and Daniel Boone 
and, 58, 60 ; the wrecking of 
the company, 60; George Rogers 
Clark and, 83 

Twain, Mark (see Clemens, Samuel 
Langhorne), how pseudonymcame 
to be adopted, 326 

Van Dyke, Henry, tribute of, to 
Samuel Langhorne Clemens ( Mark 
Twain), 330 

Vincennes, Indiana, 90 

Virginia announces independence 
and urges Congress to act, 73 

Washington, Augustine, 19 
Washington, George, meets Benja- 
min Franklin, 13; at school, 19; 
portrait, 20 ; wishes to go to sea, 
20; surveyor, 21 ; journal of, on 
surveying trip, 22 ; in Bermuda, 
23 ; inherits Mount Vernon, 24 ; 
sent to the Ohio country, 24, 25; 
promoted to lieutenant colonelcy, 
25; surrenders Fort Necessity, 
25; and General Braddock, 26; 
Samuel Davies's estimate of, 27 ; 
made commander of Virginia 
forces, 27 ; takes Fort Duquesne, 
28 ; marries Mrs. Custis, 28 ; call 



INDEX 



;87 



of the colonies, 28 ; at the Conti- 
nental Congress, 29; hears Patrick 
Henry, 29 ; commander in chief, 
31 ; difficulties of, 32 ; campaigns 
of,33; congratulationof Congress, 
34; President, 35; estimate of, 35 ; 
meets Robert Morris, 41 ; and 
Patrick Henry, 70; and Robert 
Fulton, 118; house of, in Cam- 
bridge, occupied by Henry W. 
Longfellow, 234 
Washington, Lawrence, 20, 21 
Webster, Daniel : employments in 
boyhood, 160; portrait, 161 ; school 
days, 160-163; persistence, 162; 
reading, 163 ; helping Ezekiel 
Webster, 165,166; sacrificing in 
the present for the future, 167 ; 
admitted to the bar, 168; in Con- 
gress, 168; most famous oration, 
1 69-1 7 1 ; later career, 172 
Webster, Ezekiel, 164-168 



West, l^enjamin, and Robert Fulton, 

West Point, 220, 222, 293, 294 

" What hath God wrought! " historic 
telegraph message, 199 

Wheeling, Virginia, George Rogers 
Clark locates near, 82 

Whitney, Eli, boyhood occupations, 
123;- portrait, 124; decides that 
education is a necessity, 124; 
working his way through college, 
125; goes to Savannah, Georgia, 
126; turning point in his life, 126; 
first cotton gin, 128; testing of 
the cotton gin, 129; financial 
returns from the cotton gin, 
132 ; makes firearms for govern- 
ment, 133; importance of work, 

134 
Williamsburg, Virginia, 68, 75, 83 

Yosemite, John Muir tells of, 342 



UBRARY OF CONGRESS 






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